"I never tried alcohol so I wouldn’t know" - Grigor Dimitrov jokes about 'aging like a fine wine' after Wimbledon 1R win

Grigor Dimitrov joked about 'aging like a fine wine' following his victory in the first round of the 2024 Wimbledon Championships. This is the Bulgarian's 14th appearance at prestigious grasscourt Major.

Seeded 10th, Dimitrov kicked off his campaign at SW19 against Dusan Lajovic. Despite falling behind 0-3 in the third set, the former World No.3 staged a comeback and defeated the Serb 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 in just one hour and 45 minutes to secure his spot in the second round.

Following his victory over Lajovic, during the post match on-court interview, the interviewer complimented Grigor Dimitrov, 33, saying that he was "aging like a fine wine." In a response, Dimitrov joked that he has never tasted alcohol, so he would have to take the interviewer's word for it. He stated that his win was not a "coincidence" and attributed his victory to years of hard work and dedication.

“You know I never tried alcohol so I wouldn’t know, but if you say so I’m gonna go with that. Lately I’ve been getting that question a lot, I just want to set the record straight on that. It’s not a coincidence. I’ve been there before, you put a lot of work throughout all the years and you just never know where you might harvest your work,” Grigor Dimitrov said.

The World No.10 stated that he is cherishing every single match that he is playing regardless of the outcome.

“I’m very grateful that where I’m at right now I’m cherishing every single match that I get out there whether I’m winning or losing. Losing hurts way more than it used to be 10 years ago so I don’t want to lose clearly. I am fighting as much as I can, just doing everything the best way I can possibly can,” he added.

Grigor Dimitrov shared that he has "zero regrets" with his career and will continue to compete as long as his body allows .The Bulgarian also took a moment to express his gratitude to his fans for suporting him throughout his career.

“To be completely honest, I have zero regrets and whether its 33, 35, 37 who knows if I’m still going to play then. But if I’m still enjoying it, if my body is feeling great, I’m more than happy to play for myself but also in front of you guys so thank you so much for supporting me throughout the years. Thank you!” he said.

Grigor Dimitrov will face Juncheng Shang in Wimbledon 2R

Grigor Dimitrov

Grigor Dimitrov will take on 19-year-old Juncheng Shang in the second round of the 2024 Wimbledon Championships.

Dimitrov entered Wimbledon fresh off his participation in the 2024 cinch Championships. Seeded third in the tournament, he kicked off his campaign with a dominant 6-1, 6-2 victory over Adrian Mannarino in the first round. However, his campaign came to an end in the following round when he was defeated by Sebastian Korda in a close match that ended 4-6, 6-3, 5-7.

Following this, the Bulgarian player managed to secure a win over Dusan Lajovic in the opening round at SW19 to move to the second.

Meanwhile, Juncheng Shang arrived at Wimbledon following a quarterfinals run at the 2024 Rothesay International. He first defeated qualifiers Oscar Otte and Giles Hussey, then in the main draw he overcame seventh seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry and Emil Ruusuvuori to reach the quarterfinals. However, his run came to end when he was defeated by top seed and eventual champion Taylor Fritz.

After his campaign in Eastbourne, Shang made his debut in the Wimbledon main draw. He started off strong by defeating qualifier Cristian Garin 7-5, 6-4, 6-4 in the first round to earn himself a spot in the second round where he will face Dimitrov.

Grigor Dimitrov and Juncheng Shang have never faced each other on the ATP Tour therefore their current head-to-head record stands at 0-0.