"Took me 7-8 months to get over" - Grigor Dimitrov blames 'invisible powers' for heartbreaking loss to Rafael Nadal at Australian Open 2017

Grigor Dimitrov recently spoke about the difficulties he faced in moving on from his loss to Rafael Nadal in the semifinals of the 2017 Australian Open. The Bulgarian and the Spaniard fought out a five-set thriller, but ultimately, it was Nadal who reached the final with a 6-3, 5-7, 7-6(7-5), 6-7(4-7), 6-4 win.

Dimitrov put in a superb performance on the day, tormenting Nadal time and again with his attacking, all-court style of play. The Spaniard repeatedly found himself well behind the baseline as he tried desperately to keep pace with the Bulgarian. However, as the match wore on, the exhaustion in both players started to become apparent.

In the fifth and deciding set, things seemed to be going firmly in Dimitrov's favor as he found himself 4-2 up. Nadal though, as he has so often done over the course of his illustrious career, stormed back into the match. The Spaniard won four consecutive games to turn the match on its head, leaving Dimitrov dumbstruck and heartbroken. Nadal would eventually go on to lose to Roger Federer in the final.

The Bulgarian recently sat down with The Athletic for an interview, during which he revisited the match. According to Dimitrov, "invisible powers" played spoilsport, leading to his loss to Nadal.

"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," Dimitrov told The Athletic.

The former World No. 3 also reflected on the lead that he had established in the fifth set and how he ended up on the losing side despite finding himself in such a strong position. Dimitrov cited his strong mentality for eventually moving on from the devastating defeat.

"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 added.

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"Very lucky" - Grigor Dimitrov on competing in the era of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray

Grigor Dimitrov (Image via Getty)

At a press conference following his 2024 Miami Open semifinal win over Alexander Zverev, Dimitrov was quizzed about his take on competing in the era of the 'Big Four'; Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray. The Bulgarian dismissed suggestions that he was unlucky to have competed against them when they were at their dominant best.

"Totally the opposite, actually. Totally the opposite. Very lucky. How often you say I played in an era against the best players and you have beaten them all? It's great. I'm sorry, but I can live with that," Dimitrov said.

Dimitrov is set to feature next at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships. His best finish at the prestigious grasscourt Major came in 2014 when he reached the semifinals before losing to eventual champion Djokovic.