Who Is Grigor Dimitrov?
TENNIS INSIDE OUT PLAYER PROFILE
Name: Grigor Dimitrov
Goes by: Grisho (if you’re Bulgarian-influenced), Grisha (if you’re Russian-influenced), Dimi, “Showtime.” And please don’t call him “Baby Fed.”
Val has named him: “My Little Bulgarian Breaded Pork Tenderloin,” bestowed after one of many times he rolled in the clay after a diving trick shot.
Birthday: May 16, 1991
Country: Bulgaria
Twitter: @GrigorDimitrov
Instagram: grigordimitrov
In a nutshell: Grigor Dimitrov is a highly talented, charmingly handsome, creative player who loves a hot dog shot more than anyone save Gael Monfils. While the young Bulgarian’s desire to show off sometimes comes at the expense of a point, he’s at least not willing to risk life and limb for a spectacular stunt move like the aforementioned Frenchman.
With the employment of taskmaster coach Roger Rasheed, Grigor worked very hard to not only improve his once sketchy strength and stamina, but to also strategize better and scale back on playing to the crowd. Unfortunately that stringent regimen seemed to squelch some of Grigor’s improvisational fire, which is often what it takes to win matches. After working with the Good to Great Academy and former Juan Martin del Potro coach, Franco Davin, Dimitrov embarked on what is looking to be a very promising partnership with former Andy Murray team member, Daniel Vallverdu.
Long-limbed and lean, with an elegant serve and a one-handed backhand follow-through that requires ridiculous amounts of flexibility, Grigor has often been compared to a young Roger Federer. As he’s developed as a player, however, his style has become a mash-up of Federer’s grace, Novak Djokovic’s athletic defense, and his own brand of enthusiastic showmanship. At the 2017 Australian Open, Grigor impressed with a stunningly well-played tournament that ended in a thrilling 5-set battle against Rafael Nadal.
Grigor has been a “promising player” for many years now, and he’s worked his way up to flirting with the Top 10, making it to a career-high #8 in the summer of 2014. While turmoil in his coaching situation and personal life affected his results in the last couple years, fans hope that the “promise” part will soon pay off, leading to bigger wins and accolades for a man so perfectly suited to stardom.
Get To Know Grigor Through The Eyes of TennisInsideOut.com:
Don’t want to miss a single detail (including Grisha’s effect on umpires? Click for ALL the Tennis Inside Out posts tagged to Grigor Dimitrov.
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Grigor’s Twitter and Instagram account are an absolute treasure trove for his fans. This is a man who loves social media and all the opportunities it provides to craft a perfect image with cute selfies, positive messages, and artsy views of himself and the world. Skeptics may roll their eyes, but for those who love him, he knows exactly what they want to see.
He shares pics of his incredible style on court.
— Grigor Dimitrov (@GrigorDimitrov) November 19, 2015
Here Grigor shows his badass side for sponsor Nike. This partnership, plus his Wilson racquet, were further inspiration for that “Baby Fed” nickname the media bestowed on him.
Built to beat the cold. The Men’s Tech Fleece Aeroloft Jacket. Available now. https://t.co/8prZ0Mpbof #techpack pic.twitter.com/t2F7u6pq1T — NikeCourt (@Nikecourt) November 5, 2015
Grisha’s always been a fashion-forward kinda guy, which is one of the ways he bonded with former girlfriend Maria Sharapova. He’s not afraid to share his style and fashion tips for his followers.
Who says man doesn’t like accessories?! pic.twitter.com/sWmiPYKNwu
— Grigor Dimitrov (@GrigorDimitrov) September 9, 2015
The young Bulgarian gives off a constant aura of positivity, inspiring those around him to smiles, laughter, and intimate moments at net — even on tough practice courts in sweltering weather.
A night for the books! #rogerwaters #pinkfloyd pic.twitter.com/g9jj1jbHUU
— Grigor Dimitrov (@GrigorDimitrov) August 24, 2015
Grigor is not at all afraid to post provocative images…some with interesting shadows.
Work in progress! pic.twitter.com/GbGr7ZTZ7q
— Grigor Dimitrov (@GrigorDimitrov) August 22, 2015
And also not afraid to be a total (adorbs) goofball.
Feeling silly! #londontube pic.twitter.com/Fb2YDGPReX
— Grigor Dimitrov (@GrigorDimitrov) June 22, 2015
And finally, some awesome videos to give you a sense of the man in motion:
(Updated: 2/11/2017)
