Grigor Dimitrov: "It's definitely new beginnings for me"
Having defeated Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard for his first match since coming back, the Bulgarian will also share the Parisian stage with Nicolas Mahut in the double tournament. He shared his thoughts on his return and what he expects in the coming months.
You haven’t played since Wimbledon and Monday's first set lasted more than an hour. Was it a good thing to have more time on court and play more rallies to get your form back ?
Grigor Dimitrov: Yeah, but I think what I did very good is just the timing before the match. I hit just right before playing Giovanni. I didn't want to give myself more time to stop. I think it was just better for the body. But of course, after playing a match like that, it's always very difficult, especially after that first set. The energy clearly had to drop and I was kind of waiting for that. I wasn't sure when it was going to happen, but I was really happy that I was able to sustain it. I think that was very good for me.
What do you think about the conditions here ?
They're not far off from before in the sense that the speed of the court is the same. Obviously, the balls are a little bit different: that plays a big role. But that's the ongoing topic now that we're having all the time. We know there's not going to be any major changes, so we might as well leave that aside. Of course, it's tricky in the same time. It's completely new conditions so there's a lot to get adjusted to.
What were the different stages between Wimbledon and now for the rehab?
There's so much that happened. I had a great summer, at least! I had a wonderful time. I was able to do anything I wanted to do and had some rest. But the rehab was not easy. I think after the first month, it was the time where I really had to put a lot of work. And the more challenging part was two weeks before the term, which was very crazy because you already start putting a lot of work. You build your own expectations and you feel good to play, but you don't know how anything would play out. Then I started getting a little bit of an excitement. But throughout the whole time, it was just very straightforward: I was practicing exactly the amount that I had to. I knew that I wouldn't be able to do as much as I wanted to. This is also a very good test for me, especially for next year. I have to reshuffle literally everything from the way I'm preparing to the team or the tournaments I'll play. It's definitely new beginnings for me.
Do you look at the draw and would you like to play Daniil next?
Yeah, I would love to, actually. This is the type of match that I want to play coming back. Even on Monday, it was definitely not an easy first match after three months, but I was able to do what I had to do. I'm just going one day at a time right now. There's no point for me to set any goals at the moment. My goal is still next year: to come off and make sure that I play the whole season properly and stay healthy. That's actually my goal right now. Any given day that I'm out there on the court, whether it's practice or a match, being able to go through it, that's a success already.
What's your team situation at the moment?
In a hunt for a coach, I guess! We're in a hunt, but we'll see we're leaving that for the next weeks. I'm just waiting for this tournament to be over and then go back to the drawing board and see what options we have and then how I want to structure it especially for the next season.
You’re going to play double with Nicolas Mahut : it could be a very emotional time today… What can you tell us about him ?
It already is very emotional. We go a lot way back with him. We've played so many times against each other on any level. I think we played quite a few finals and challenges. We've known each other for a tremendous amount of time. For me, honestly, it's an honor to play with him in his last tournament at home. I just love playing doubles with him. We have a similar game, which also helps me a lot to be a bit more free on the court. We're here for that good time. I'm sure he's thrilled. I know that. He was already texting me like: "I booked a court". And I'm like: "Thanks, coach". It already creates a great atmosphere. I just really hope that I'm in a full shape for him so we can perform. He's a great guy. He cares a lot. He loves the sport. It's been a great career for him. Now, I think just on to the next chapter.