Grigor Dimitrov won his ninth career title, beating Holger Rune for the crown in Brisbane
All of Grigor Dimitrov’s emotions after winning the Brisbane tournament on Sunday could be seen just looking at his face at match point. For a player of his caliber—a 2017 ATP Finals winner, a Grand Slam semifinalist, and a former world No. 3—the Bulgarian had to wait seven long years for this moment.
He only dropped a set against world No. 8 Holger Rune in the opening round of this week’s Australian Open. He then dominated the rest of his matches, winning 7-6 (5), 6-4 in the finale. The Bulgarian revealed during the news conference that he was really happy with the outcome of the game, grinning broadly.
“I believe that I am experiencing a wide range of emotions. Obviously, I’m really attached to winning a title. It has been a long time. In a way, I believe that’s what I’m aiming for. I believe that competing against the best players—many of whom are much younger than I am—is a great way for me to assess my current level of play. This, I believe, is what I’m most proud of.
Of course, a victory is a victory, and a championship is a title, but I believe that realising where I am is far more significant. The things I’ve been doing on and off the court over the last four or five months, in my opinion, have paid off tremendously. That, I believe, is what took place today.
It humbles me in the same way that I feel that I’ve been improving as a tennis player and that there’s still room for improvement in a few areas. If those things work out, who knows what more might be in store for me. I’m going to take it slow for the time being, savour the occasion, enjoy a few days, make some adjustments, and then get back to work.
DIAMITROV AND THE WAY TO WIN
Dimitrov has enjoyed a string of successful outcomes since the autumn of 2023. Including two semifinals and two finals, he has advanced to at least the quarterfinals in five of his previous six competitions. The 32-year-old validated his reputation at the beginning of the 2024 season with a tenth ATP victory, after an unpleasant loss against Novak Djokovic at the Rolex Paris Masters towards the conclusion of the previous year.
Match Highlights: Holger Rune vs. Grigor Dimitrov for the Title! 🏆 | Brisbane Final 2024
When questioned during the press conference about a potential catalyst or what he could have done differently in 2023 to produce outstanding outcomes, he only responded by saying that he had given himself every opportunity to succeed in his career.
I’m totally absorbed in my online work. I’m concentrating on my everyday activities, including my workouts, sleep patterns, food habits, and the team projects we’re working on. I know that sounds strange, but there are so many different things I do every day that I never stop to consider whether or not I’m playing really well. It’s more important to consider how I’ll put together a point, play during a game, react in a pinch, and pursue the ball. That’s the exciting thing for me right now.
Indeed, I believe that if you carry out all of these actions in the proper and suitable manner, everything will work out and you will succeed. Yes, Melbourne is one week away. Everyone will be out there, of course. Everyone will hustle and struggle with each other. It is a best-of-five format. This tournament is entirely different.
“All I have to do is maintain that trajectory, carry on with my routine and get some practice outside.” We engage in roof play. It modifies the environment slightly. You have to adjust to so many other things right now, even little ones. I’m only going to concentrate on it.