"Anxiety, panic attacks... Men don't speak about it often" - Grigor Dimitrov lays bare his mental health struggles after reaching Stockholm Open final
Grigor Dimitrov opened up about his battle with mental health after reaching the final of the 2024 Stockholm Open. He will be aiming to win his second title at the ATP 250 hard court tournament in Sweden, having previously emerged victorious in 2013 by defeating David Ferrer in the final.
Seeded third at the Stockholm Open, Dimitrov kicked off his campaign in the second round after receiving a first-round bye and he defeated Quentin Halys 7-6(1), 6-3 in the opening round.
The Bulgarian then overcame Dominic Stricker 6-3, 6-2, and seventh seed Tallon Griekspoor 2-6, 7-5, 6-4 in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively to secure his spot in the final of the Stockholm Open, his 21st tour-level final appearance.
During the post-match press conference, Grigor Dimitrov opened up about his struggles with mental health and revealed that he has battled with severe anxiety and panic attacks that often affected his performance on the court.
“It would be a lie if I say that I never had it. I had severe moments of anxiety, panic attacks and they would drop on the tennis match. Of course I think it always helps when you can talk to people and share and even if it's another tennis player,” Dimitrov said.
Dimitrov acknowledged the challenges of addressing mental health but encouraged more athletes to share their experiences and support each other.
“I was saying we all should be more open to each other. I know it’s difficult . I know it's a very individual sport and almost brutal, but I mean we’re all human and at the end of the day we're no different than anyone else just happened for us to play good tennis that’s all,” he added.
The former World No.3 also expressed appreciation for the growing trend of athletes worldwide breaking the stigma surrounding the topic and speaking openly about their mental health struggles
“I think a lot of athletes all around the world are slowly starting to express themselves which is lovely to see especially I've seen quite a few guys in the NBA speak very openly about mental health. We don’t speak enough about it and I totally understand,” Grigor Dimitrov continued.
Grigor Dimitrov also stated that men don't usually speak about their mental health but talking about it and showing vulnerability shows how much strength a person possesses.
“I’m obviously talking from my side, like men in general, we don’t speak about it often but I think we should. It’s not a sort of weakness but I think it’s totally the opposite showing vulnerability. It’s a huge strength absolutely, huge strength and you sit on your own, on your own self in your own ground,” he said.
Grigor Dimitrov will face Tommy Paul in Stockholm Open 2024 final
Grigor Dimitrov will go head-to-head against fourth seed, Tommy Paul in the final of the 2024 Stockholm Open.
Paul, like Dimitrov, began his campaign in the second round after being granted a first-round bye. He secured a victory over qualifier Laslo Djere with a score of 6-2, 7-6(2) in the opening round.
The American then went on to defeat Miomir Kecmanovic and wild card Stan Wawrinka with scores of 7-6(9), 6-2 and 6-3, 6-2 in the quarterfinal and semifinal, respectively, to secure his spot in the final.
Paul will be looking to win his second title in Sweden, having previously emerged victorious in 2021 when he defeated Denis Shapovalov 6–4, 2–6, 6–4 in the final.
Grigor Dimitrov and Tommy Paul have faced each other twice on the ATP tour, with each player winning a match. Their most recent match-up took place in the first round of the 2020 US Open, where the Bulgarian emerged victorious with a score of 6-4, 6-3, 6-1.