Grigor Dimitrov: My body is already recovering more slowly than before
Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria) is out of the US Open 2024 after his body failed and he was forced to retire in the fourth set of his quarter-finals match against Frances Tiafoe (USA). The Bulgarian player lost the first set with 3:6, won the second with 7:6(5), then his health problems started and he lost again with 3:6 in the third. The fourth quarter began with a medical timeout, but Grigor Dimitrov tried to continue despite advice from his staff to stop. He stayed on the court until 4:1 in favor of his opponent, but things did not improve and in the end the Bulgarian player was forced to stop his participation in the clash.
“I think what happened was a combination of everything, including the meeting with Andrey Rublev in the previous round. Obviously, my body is already recovering more slowly than before. I mean, I felt a few things even before the game. But there is no point in talking more about the subject. This is part of the game and I have to keep my head up high”, said Grigor Dimitrov at the press conference after the match. “It’s not easy, what can I tell you. But when you’ve achieved some things during your career, you’ve had a lot of good moments outside of tennis, you take things more humbly and in a different way. So when something like this happens to you, you accept it and deal with it, even if it hurts”, added the Bulgarian tennis player.
Grigor Dimitrov won the the quarter-finals after exhausting match versus Andrey Rublev, complaining about health problems with his knee. At the end he succeeded to win and gave this to his experience on the court.
“I have to rethink some things that I can change. Around my physical training too. But then again, given all the circumstances from Montreal so far, I wasn’t even sure I could play here, let alone as well as I did. That’s why I take this quarterfinal as something positive. I don’t want that to take away from Francis the credit for the victory. I mean, he also pushed me a lot to try and work extra hard, so he definitely deserves credit. We’re moving forward”, commented Grigor Dimitrov. The last few days have not been the easiest at all. Factors accumulate – efforts, fatigue, stress. That’s the situation. I just have to put that aside for now and focus on what’s ahead. Many good things are ahead”, added he.
This was the second consecutive retiring of Grigor Dimitrov at a Grand Slam tournament, after an injury at Wimbledon took him out of the match with Daniil Medvedev.
“This is the second Slam tournament in a row in which I have been eliminated in this way. I think I have enough experience in me to know when it doesn’t make sense to go any further. Do I like it? No, of course. But that’s the situation. I don’t know how serious it is, I have exams coming up and they will tell. I hope it’s not a big deal, but there was no point in going ahead and risking it any further. I have a lot to be ambitious about until the end of the year. A great exhibition match with Novak is also on the horizon. I want to end the season in the best possible way”, said Grigor Dimitrov.
