"If I didn't have it, I wouldn't be here" - Grigor Dimitrov looks back on 'bad experiences' on and off court that shaped his ruthlessness

Grigor Dimitrov recently talked about how his past experiences have influenced his mentality both on and off the court. The Bulgarian also insisted that sports and life are similar in a few ways.

Dimitrov is in the middle of a resurgence on the ATP Tour this year. The 33-year-old won his first pro title in more than six years at the 2024 Brisbane International in January. He followed it up with a runner-up finish at the Miami Masters in March, which allowed him to re-enter the men's top 10 rankings.

Grigor Dimitrov recently sat down for a candid talk with The Athletic, touching upon how a few fans feel that he lacks the "ruthlessness" to monopolize the top rungs of tennis. The Bulgarian claimed that it was far from the truth and that many things in his life were formative in making him the player that he is today.

"If I didn’t have it, I wouldn’t be here right now," Grigor Dimitrov told The Athletic. "And I think to have it something must have happened with you — like a bad experience that pushes you over the edge, that after you’re like, 'OK, we’re on now.'"

"I had that, of course. Both on and off the court. I had many of those experiences and I’m very grateful for them. Some of them have been extremely hard but it’s part of the game and part of life," he added. "I always link the game, our sport, to our life. I think they go hand-in-hand — it teaches you life as well."

However, the former World No. 3 did concede that he liked to share good camaraderie with his peers regardless of his on-court ruthlessness.

"Ruthlessness, of course, that’s how it is. You want to win. You can be the nicest guy off the court but on it you can be a total..." Dimitrov said. "That’s the bit I find, I don’t know if it’s difficult with some players but I make sure I say something because I think it’s also vital for our sport to have a good etiquette in that way."

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Grigor Dimitrov on losing to Rafael Nadal in a five-set semifinal during the Australian Open 2017: "There were invisible powers that tipped it over"

Rafael Nadal and Grigor Dimitrov embrace after their 2017 Australian Open clash

During the interaction, Grigor Dimitrov also recounted his only semifinal outing at the Australian Open in 2017. The Bulgarian was on the verge of making his maiden Major final, but was denied by Rafael Nadal 3-6, 7-5, 6-7(5), 7-6(4), 4-6 in nearly five hours.

"The match with Rafa took me seven or eight months to get over. I often felt like there were invisible powers that tipped it over," Grigor Dimitrov said. "I was 4-2 up in the fifth and played an amazing… there was no way I could lose the match, and yet I lost the match. (I got over it with) Mental strength, overall."

Dimitrov would enjoy his career-best season that year as he picked up four titles, including the ATP Finals and the Cincinnati Masters. He will be eager to replicate the same form in 2024,