‘I’m Very Hard on Myself’- Grigor Dimitrov Unveils Game-Changing Move of Adding Key Member to His Team

In the fast-paced world of professional tennis, the glamor of the players on the court may overpower the work of a coach. Every successful player, though, usually has a committed coach by their side who helps mold their career path. Jamie Delgado, the former coach of Andy Murray, is one such unsung hero in the tennis world. He has played a key role in helping Grigor Dimitrov with a career resurgence after 2017 theatrics.

Grigor Dimitrov shared how he could return to his peak and make it to the Miami Open final with the guidance of Andy Murray’s former coach. Dimitrov and Jamie Delgado have collaborated for more than a year now. Dimitrov explained how he “hit it off” with the British coach soon after they met and how has helped him to be less “hard” on himself.

Grigor Dimitrov praises his coach for being the “hardest” worker

Grigor Dimitrov has finally ended his six-year title drought and, for the first time since 2018, will once again be among the world’s top 10. However, following a career-best season in 2017, the 32-year-old struggled to reach his peak. Referring to the recent revival, Dimitrov said in an interview,  “I’m very hard on myself on weeks of practice […] but he’s been able to, I think, to balance me up on that end a little bit more and on good days to keep me, you know, grounded and humble and aware of things”.

It took Dimitrov five years to even make it to a final, and as recently as eleven months ago, he wasn’t even in the top 30 worldwide. He has had an amazing comeback after that, making it to the finals in Geneva and Paris-Bercy and winning the title in Brisbane in January with Delgado’s help. “I think he’s definitely one of the hardest workers that are out there that always, in a way, expects good excellence from me on a daily basis, but also being kind enough with me when I’m not recognizing that part of myself,” further added World No. 12 after his win against Alexander Zverev on Friday.

Also read: ‘Wanted It a Lot’ – Grigor Dimitrov Makes His Feelings Clear as He Achieves a Major Milestone After 5 Long Years

Dimitrov shares a unique off-court understanding with Delgado, “When Jamie came on board, we kind of hit it off right away. I think we kind of understood the importance of what we had to do every single day.” He also opened up about their behind-the-scenes friendship!

Dimitrov and Delgado’s off-court bond

A fundamental component of Jamie Delgado’s coaching style is his focus on mental relaxation, which he brought to Dimitrov’s personal life. Apart from being a coach to him, Delgado does not forget to have a friendship with Grigor Dimitrov that goes beyond their professional commitments. “I think we are also at the same time having a lot of fun. Yeah, we will keep on doing that,” Dimitrov said about their off-court relationship.

Although the Bulgarian player is deserving of praise for his diligence and commitment, Jamie Delgado’s unseen contributions have played a crucial role in his comeback. It’ll be exciting to watch their ever-growing upward trajectory!

Read more: Grigor Dimitrov: 20 Wins and $1.1 Million Prize Money, Meet the Person Behind the ATP Star’s Late-Career Resurgence