“Unfortunately, 10 years made a huge difference” – Grigor Dimitrov jokes about ‘Fountain of Youth’ regret after Miami Open final loss to Jannik Sinner

Despite his strong performance throughout the 2024 Miami Open, Grigor Dimitrov’s run came to a close on March 31 as he was defeated by Jannik Sinner in the title match.

At the 2024 Miami Open, Grigor Dimitrov, who had been seeded No. 11, experienced his first appearance in the final of the tournament. Despite defeating three top-10 players on his journey, the Bulgarian was unable to secure a win against Jannik Sinner. Sinner broke Dimitrov twice in both sets and saved the only breakpoint on his serve, resulting in a 6-3, 6-1 victory in the final of the Masters 1000 tournament.

Following the title match, Dimitrov took time to reflect on his performances and was satisfied with his overall performance at the Miami tournament. Despite not having a strong track record there, the 32-year-old acknowledged his past struggles and was pleased with his improvement this year. He also looked back on his close call in the second round and was content with his determination and persistence throughout the entire competition.

During his press conference after the match, Dimitrov was questioned about his rejuvenation at Miami and made a playful comment about wishing he had consumed more of the “fountain of youth”to narrow the 10-year age gap between himself and Jannik Sinner in the final.

“Thank you. I should have had maybe one more glass of that juice. Unfortunately, 10 years made a huge difference today (smiling). But overall, I just want to focus on the positives this week. It’s been a tournament I have not been able to do well I think in the past years. In a way, it was also a goal of mine to come out here and give my best shot,”Dimitrov said.

“I was extremely determined throughout the whole week. A lot has been happening also behind the scenes, and beating very good players, I mean, high-quality players, let’s don’t forget I was down a set and 5-2 in the tiebreaker in the first round. So a lot of positives for me, honestly,”he added.

“Rising Star Sinner Dominates Miami Open, Impresses Opponents”- Grigor Dimitrov

During the 2024 Miami Open, Grigor Dimitrov commended Jannik Sinner for his exceptional performances and noted his impressive consistency this year. Sinner, who claimed his first Grand Slam victory at the 2024 Australian Open and also emerged victorious at the ABN AMRO Open, captured the Miami title and will now be ranked as the World No. 2.

Dimitrov aimed to put his performance in the final behind him and focus on preparing for the clay season. The former ATP Finals champion was eager to use the break before his next tournament to assess his performance in Florida.

“Clearly it’s Jannik’s week. He’s been playing amazing tennis. It’s really impressive how he’s been able to keep that way of playing. Yeah, I need to look forward to whatever is next for me. I don’t think I have much time to be down on myself. I just want to embrace this moment as well. Just as you win, you need to be able to handle matches like that, I think even better than winning those type of matches,”Grigor Dimitrov said.

He continued, “So I think this is the next step for me. Now we start with the clay, so this is something I’m looking forward to. Yeah, I think definitely I will have some days off to evaluate, see what I did good, what I could have done better and so forth. I think, you know, overall it’s a very positive two weeks for me.”

Despite facing a tough lineup at the Miami Open, Grigor Dimitrov was able to secure a spot in the second round with a first-round bye. He then went on to defeat Alejandro Tabilo, Yannick Hanfmann, Hubert Hurkacz, and Carlos Alcaraz before ultimately falling to Sinner. As a result of his impressive performance, the Bulgarian will once again hold a spot in the top 10 of the ATP Ranking after a gap of 283 weeks.