Grigor Dimitrov said it felt good to win his first match back following an unfortunate end to his Wimbledon campaign. In the Wimbledon first round, Dimitrov sustained a thigh injury and was forced to retire injured versus Steve Johnson.
On Wednesday, Dimitrov made his return after being sidelined for a month as he edged out Adrian Mannarino 6-1 3-6 7-5 in his Washington opener. “I haven’t competed in quite some time, so it’s very good to come out and win a match,” Dimitrov said after the win, per the ATP website.
Dimitrov never tried to compare himself to the Big Four
Dimitrov enjoyed a very successful junior career and he was compared to Roger Federer at the start of his career. Being compared to Federer put the enormous pressure on Dimitrov and the Bulgarian wanted the comparisons with the Swiss to stop.
“I think the beauty in not only in our sport, but in all of the tennis players that each one of us is such different individuals,” Dimitrov said. “I think I never wanted to compare myself to any of the top guys, and I always said it.
Like these guys, Roger, Rafa, Novak, I mean, Andy, I think all these guys, they are on a league of their own.” Dimitrov hasn’t accomplished his goal of winning a Grand Slam but he has been ranked inside the top-3 and he has a Masters and an ATP Finals title in his collection.
Dimitrov, who is now the 19th-ranked player in the world, feels he can return to the very top of the game. “I judge success from a very different perspective, I would say. I have won those big tournaments, had amazing results, beaten a lot of good players.
But I still believe I can come back to the top. I would say that’s my primary goal right now. I have been able to be top 20 for quite some time. I was top 10 for quite some time. I was 3 in the world, Dimitrov explained.
