“Whatever I say doesn’t do it justice, I fight my own battles now” – Grigor Dimitrov elated after ‘cherry on the cake’ return to top 10 after 5 years

On Friday, Grigor Dimitrov secured his place in the final of the 2024 Miami Open after a back-and-forth match against Alexander Zverev, winning with a score of 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-4. This victory also marked Dimitrov’s return to the top 10 of the ATP rankings after a gap of over five years.

Ever since his impressive performance in 2017 and 2018, which saw him reach a career-high ranking of World No. 3, Dimitrov has struggled to maintain his position in the top 10. Despite consistently being outside the top 10 in the last few years, his current ranking of No. 12 is the closest the 32-year-old has come to rejoining the elite players in the world of men’s tennis since he dropped out of the top 10 in October 2018.

After defeating Zverev, Grigor Dimitrov is set to surpass Hubert Hurkacz and claim the World No. 9 spot on Monday, regardless of the outcome of the final on Sunday. During his on-court interview, Dimitrov candidly discussed the physical and mental challenges he faced over the last 65 months in his journey to re-enter the top 10.

The 32-year-old stressed the difficulty of accurately conveying the battle he faced through words. However, he also acknowledged the hard work put in by himself and his team behind the scenes, which ultimately led him to where he is today.

Despite facing challenges, the key to Dimitrov’s success was his unwavering belief and faith in himself. He also received support and encouragement from his family and close friends, who constantly pushed him in the right direction. Dimitrov joyfully declared that “love”was the main factor throughout his journey, and returning to the top 10 was the perfect cherry on top of his well-deserved success.

“Whatever I say doesn’t do it justice. For me, I fight my own battles now. I run my own race. All that comes with the work we all put in as a team. I’m at a very different path in my life and my career. A lot was done. A lot of work. A lot of everything behind it. So I don’t want to go too far back. There’s no reason for it,”Grigor Dimitrov said.

“I kept on believing. I kept on thriving. I kept on having faith in myself. When I didn’t believe in myself enough, all the team around me was constantly pushing me in the right direction. I had very good discipline. My family was by my side and all the close friends. It’s all love [at] the end of the day. This is just a cherry on the cake,”he added.

Rising stars Grigor Dimitrov and Jannik Sinner face off in Miami Open final

In the final of the Masters 1000 event on Sunday, Grigor Dimitrov will face off against Jannik Sinner for a chance to win the title in Miami. Dimitrov defeated Alexander Zverev in three sets, while Sinner had a straightforward victory in the semifinals on Friday against Daniil Medvedev, winning 6-1, 6-2.

The pair have competed against each other three times in the past, with Sinner emerging victorious in their previous two encounters. Both Sinner and Dimitrov are aiming to claim their first Miami Open championship, and Sinner has the opportunity to achieve a career-best World No. 2 ranking if he is able to secure the win.