"He's set a very high standard" - Grigor Dimitrov reveals his pick in GOAT debate between Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic
Grigor Dimitrov is currently at the Shanghai Masters, as he looks to make his second ATP 1000 finals of the year. In a media interaction at the competition, the Bulgarian tennis player revealed his pick in the GOAT debate between the big three players, while also naming the nicest and funniest players on the ATP Tour.
For Dimitrov, 2024 has brought multiple impressive performances. He started his year on a high with a title finish at the Brisbane International, and has since gone on to reach the finals of the Open 13 Provence as well as the Miami Open.
Recently, Grigor Dimitrov made an appearance on ATP’s ‘Down The T’ segment, and revealed his pick in the GOAT debate between Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic, saying,
“The guy that I always looked up to has always been Roger Federer. He's like the pioneer of the game itself on that end. He's set a very high standard, and an example to me.”
Dimitrov went on to name Hubert Hurkacz as the nicest player on tour, and said that the Pole was the first person he'd called in an emergency. The Bulgarian also labeled Frances Tiafoe as the funniest player on the tour, while calling Alex De Minaur underrated, and saying that Jack Draper would make the best wingman.
Discussing his interests away from the tennis courts, the Bulgarian shared that Tupac and The Weekend were his favorite music artists. He also made a surprising revelation about hai favorite Instagram account, saying,
“It has to be some interior designer (account). I'm big on that. I love just looking at houses, kitchens.”
Grigor Dimitrov will start his Shanghai Masters campaign against Zizou Bergs
After a bye in his opening round match at the Shanghai Masters, ninth seed Grigor Dimitrov will now take on Belgium's Zizou Bergs at the tournament. The duo are scheduled to be the second match on Grandstand 2, with the first match beginning at 10:00 AM local time.
Prior to this impending clash in China, Dimitrov and Bergs have battled only once. The two clashed swords in the round of 32 at Roland Garros earlier this year. In that encounter, Dimitrov had emerged victorious over the qualifier with a scoreline of 6-3, 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-4.
For Grigor Dimitrov, this match will mark only his second fixture since suffering a groin injury at the US Open quarterfinals. He previously competed at the Laver Cup for Team Europe, beating World No. 23 Alejandro Tabilo.