During a recent appearance on the Tennis Channel, World No. 28 Grigor Dimitrov revealed what message he would like to pass on to his younger self.
Dimitrov wanted to remind his past self that a career in tennis was rife with uncertainties. Therefore, it was important that he retain a positive state of mind at all times, focus on his family and keep working hard.
"Fundamentally, it all comes down to family, hard work and inspiration," Dimitrov said. "Stay as positive as you can possibly be. Tennis is a very tough sport that comes with a lot of ups and downs."
The 30-year-old also passed on the advice that sometimes one simply has to bear the hardships. Dimitrov wished he hadn't spent so much time worrying about things.
"You are going to have to play against obstacles and hurdles but the only way is to go through," Dimitrov said. "There is no time to waste."
Grigor Dimitrov reserved his most important piece of wisdom for the end. The Bulgarian wanted his past self to draw a clear boundary between results on the tennis court and his life outside it. He did not want one to be connected with the other, to the detriment of both.
He promised a younger Dimitrov that if he just put in his best efforts and treated the people around him with kindness, the rest would take care of itself.
"The most important thing is to never tie your results to your outside life. Make sure there is a good balance between what you do and what you love," Dimitrov said. "Work hard, and be nice to people; the rest all comes very natural."
Grigor Dimitrov kicks off his 2022 season at the ATP 250 event in Melbourne
Before the 2022 Australian Open, Grigor Dimitrov is scheduled to play at the ATP 250 event in Melbourne. He will join other high-profile names in men's tennis such as World No. 9 Rafael Nadal and World No. 26 Reilly Opelka at the Melbourne Summer Set from January 3-9.
The three-time Grand Slam semifinalist landed in Australia earlier this week and has been spotted hard at work in the practice courts of Melbourne. Dimitrov reached the quarterfinal stage of the Australian Open in 2021, and will be looking forward to making a deeper run in the tournament this time around.