Key Takeaways
- Grigor Dimitrov admits he feels increasingly detached from the tour, stating, “I have stopped being interested in everything that happens in my sport.”
- The 35-year-old Bulgarian revealed an emotional shift after recent retirements, noting, “A part of me retired when Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal hung up their rackets.”
- While respecting modern champions, Dimitrov shared that he and Novak Djokovic reminisced about the past, affirming, “the period of the Big 3 was the ultimate.”
A veteran reflecting on the closing chapter of his career
Now in the final stages of his long career on the professional tour, former world No. 3 Grigor Dimitrov is candidly assessing his relationship with modern tennis. At 35 years old, the Bulgarian acknowledges that retirement is no longer far away, finding it increasingly challenging to summon the drive needed to battle against younger competitors. Recent years have also brought tough physical setbacks, most notably a severe pectoral muscle tear at Wimbledon in 2025 that forced him to retire on Centre Court while leading Jannik Sinner by two sets.
That injury largely sidelined Dimitrov for the remainder of 2025, aside from a brief outing at the Paris Masters 1000, and he has only rarely produced his vintage form in 2026. Speaking to spilxperten.com during Bulgaria’s Davis Cup tie against Denmark, Dimitrov opened up about his shifting mindset and growing distance from the everyday tour environment.
“I have to be honest: by now I am very detached from everything that happens on the ATP circuit,” Dimitrov admitted. “I continue to compete with maximum effort, but I have stopped being interested in everything that happens in my sport.”
The enduring shadow of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal
For a player whose life has been consumed by tennis from an early age, stepping onto the court today feels strikingly different from the golden era in which he established himself at the top of the sport. Dimitrov observed that the locker room has changed so rapidly that he hardly recognizes many of the competitors sharing the draw with him.
“My whole life has always revolved around tennis, but now I don’t know a good portion of the players competing on tour,” Dimitrov confessed when discussing the changing landscape of the ATP Tour.
That emotional detachment deepened significantly as the legendary figures he once chased began stepping away from competitive action. Dimitrov revealed that the retirements of two generational icons marked a distinct turning point in his personal tennis journey, a sentiment he shares with another remaining stalwart of that period.
“A part of me retired when Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal hung up their rackets,” Dimitrov said. “I know that Novak Djokovic feels exactly the same way as I do, because I have spoken with him about it several times.”
Dimitrov explained that the intensity of competing against the iconic trio established a standard of excitement that modern rivalries simply do not recreate for him. “We remembered together how thrilling it was to face those challenges,” he added, looking back on his discussions with Djokovic. “I cannot experience anything like that now.”
While recognizing the skill and achievements of the current generation, Dimitrov remains steadfast that nothing compares to the heights reached during tennis’s most dominant era. “I don’t want to disrespect any of the current champions, but the period of the Big 3 was the ultimate,” he concluded.
ATP St. Tropez Challenger - Grigor Dimitrov's projected path
Grigor Dimitrov in 2026
Now ranked no.128, the Bulgarian played his last match on the 20th of September when he lost to world no.130 Alexei Popyrin 3-6 6-3 6-2 6-4 in the 1st round of the U.S. Open (draw).
This season Dimitrov owns a compiled 13-18 win-loss record.
