Dimitrov presents his new mindset: “I used to be very critical of myself, now I try to be kinder.”

Grigor Dimitrov will compete in the upcoming days in his fifteenth US Open, another addition to an endless list, although this edition has been different from the others. The Bulgarian, currently ranked outside the top hundred, had to enter the main draw through qualifying.

This is the path he has had to take to get back among the best, a somewhat unusual situation for someone who has been established in the elite of world tennis for years. But nothing lasts forever, especially when injuries and defeats come together. Grigor, ranked number 137 this week, navigated his role in qualifying with a very positive perspective filled with maturity.

The Bulgarian, who won his first two matches, got lucky in his third test when his opponent withdrew before entering the court. That unexpected help prevented him from playing a third match, something he was eager to do after the good feelings he had created in the previous days. “I was looking forward to playing an extra match, I had played well in the first two, so I just wanted to make sure I recovered well,” explained the Haskovo native in Tennis Channel.

But the true interest of his words emerged when he spoke about his current motivation. At 35 years old, Dimitrov no longer seems to measure his career solely by results. “I still want to do too many things in this sport,” he asserted, although he immediately shifted the focus to something deeper: “Right now, for me, the most important thing is to grow.” The Bulgarian believes that tennis has helped him in many areas of his life and states that he is competing mainly against himself. This shift in mindset is also reflected in how he approaches defeats.

Dimitrov confesses his change of mindset starting at 35

Dimitrov acknowledges that for much of his career he was extremely critical of himself, to the point of diving into mental places that made it very difficult to enjoy the game. Now he is trying to change that relationship with himself. “I’m trying to be a little kinder to myself and continue enjoying the journey,” he confessed. The ranking is even more valuable considering that Dimitrov had to go through qualifying at Roland Garros and that injuries have influenced a good part of the final stretch of his career. However, his way of interpreting the situation is revealing.

“I know I can do it,” he stated before explaining that these days have also served to return to the main fundamentals: mentally preparing for matches, caring for recovery, and checking daily how his body responds. And there emerges perhaps the phrase that best summarizes his present. Dimitrov asserts that he no longer thinks, “I have to play the qualifiers,” but rather: “I have the opportunity to play another match. I have the opportunity to compete again.” After a physically challenging year, that shift in perspective seems to have become one of his greatest strengths.

New York, moreover, brings back extraordinary memories. In 2019, he reached the semifinals after defeating Roger Federer in five sets. Dimitrov recalls that he arrived at the tournament without great expectations and not even in good physical condition. “I simply started resolving some things,” he explained. For him, that experience demonstrates that in tennis, one can never know what might happen if faith, desire, and the ability to keep trying are maintained. Now he returns to the main draw from a different place. His goal does not seem to be to prove that he is still the Dimitrov who amazed the world, but rather to discover how far the player he is today can go.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Dimitrov presenta su nueva mentalidad: “Antes era muy crítico conmigo, ahora intento ser más amable”