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He’s 21 years old. He’s a former World No.1 in the juniors. He just beat the best player in the world, Novak Djokovic in the Madrid Masters. He’s been compared endlessly to the best player of all time, Roger Federer. Oh, and he’s dating Maria Sharapova. Surely Grigor Dimitrov is the next big thing in men’s tennis?
Many a tennis fan, including myself, have grumbled that while it is a pleasure to watch the likes of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic dominate tennis – as they have for close to a decade now – there is a serious lack of competition to the top players in today’s era, something that was ever-present in previous eras. Fans have long yearned for a player to break the stranglehold the top players have on the game and while there have been glimpses of hope from players like Del Potro, Tsonga and Ferrer, none of them has mounted a serious challenge. Grigor Dimitrov may well be the man who takes that step and has taken major strides this year to achieving that goal.
Being nicknamed ‘Baby Fed’ is something the Bulgarian has had to live with since he won two junior Grand Slams way back in 2008. With Federer having won the Wimbledon boys singles title himself ten years earlier, comparisons were almost instantly made between the two, with his coach Peter Lundgren, a former coach of Federer’s as well, declaring that ‘he was better than Federer at that age’.
This endorsement by Lundgren made the tennis world sit up and take notice, and instant results were expected from the teenager. The pressure and burden seemed to get to Dimitrov as his first few years on tour were disappointing, resulting in losses in Challenger tournaments and building frustration as he struggled to live up to the expectations bestowed upon him. 2012 was better, as he managed to reach the semifinals of three ATP tour events and finished the year inside the top 50. However, as we have seen, 2013 is the year the Bulgarian has finally started to live up to his promise.
This year has already seen Dimitrov claim scalps like Milos Raonic, Janko Tipsarevic and of course the biggest one of them all, Novak Djokovic. The Bulgarian started the year by reaching his first ATP final in Brisbane where he lost to Andy Murray in two tough sets. A disappointing Australian Open campaign did not deter him as he went on to reach the semifinals in Rotterdam followed by an impressive run in Indian Wells. Defeating Janko Tipsarevic in Monte Carlo, Dimitrov managed to push the greatest claycourter of them all, Rafael Nadal, to the very brink in the quarterfinals of that tournament before recording that memorable win over Djokovic last week in Madrid.
The comparisons with Federer are not completely off the mark. The elegance, the movement, the forehand, the single-handed backhand – it’s all there. However, comparisons can be made till the cows come home; it is up to Dimitrov to translate that promise into tangible results. He is yet to win an ATP title and is yet to progress beyond the second round of a Grand Slam. The 21-year-old has had issues with his consistency even this year, as was proved last week, when he fell to Stanislas Wawrinka after defeating Djokovic. Consistency is the hallmark of great champions, and Dimitrov will have to put in some major work in order to get more consistent results and maintain them over the years.
There was always a huge amount of pressure on Dimitrov but there is even more now, with Federer on the decline and fans desperate for someone to take over that mantle, someone who plays a similar game, and who could possibly challenge the heights reached by the Swiss maestro. There is a very long way to go before legitimate comparisons can be made between the two and Dimitrov knows that. Another thing he would have to bear in mind is that this is not the first time someone has been compared to Federer. Richard Gasquet, one of the most talented players over the past few years, struggled to live with that comparison and now finds himself in his mid-twenties, having had only a moderately successful career thus far, far below the standards that were set for him during his formative years. Jokes aside, it is perhaps best for Dimitrov that he has Maria Sharapova as his partner, herself a champion at a very young age and who has handled the pressure and expectations relatively well, racking up four Grand Slam titles over the years.
Dimitrov is right there; well, game-wise at least. The results have finally started showing, and it is now firmly in his hands whether he goes on to become one of the greats of the game or fades away and becomes yet another ‘what-could-have-been’ story.
