Serena Williams was delighted with Grigor Dimitrov’s heroics at the 2024 Brisbane International.
Dimitrov won his ninth career title at the recently concluded ATP 250 event in Brisbane, which featured Rafael Nadal, Holger Ruhn, Andy Murray, Sebastian Korda and Ben Shelton, among many others.
The Bulgarian was seeded second in the tournament and defeated Murray, Daniel Altmaier, Lynch Hijikata, Jordan Thompson and Ruane to win the title.
Notably, this was Grigor Dimitrov’s first win since his victory at the 2017 ATP Finals. While the former world number three has since competed in three other finals, including two in 2023 (Geneva Open and Paris Masters), he has been unsuccessful in the title race.
The 32-year-old’s performance at the Brisbane International inspired fans and the tennis world alike. Serena Williams, who has also proven to be Dimitrov’s staunch cheerleader over the years, also expressed her happiness on social media.
“Yeahhhh bro!!!” she wrote in the comments on Grigor Dimitrov’s Instagram post about the win.
Grigor Dimitrov after 2024 Brisbane International win: ‘Who knows what else will happen to me’
Grigor Dimitrov’s performances in recent months have been impressive. In addition to reaching the finals twice in Geneva and Paris, he also reached the semi-finals at the 2023 Shanghai Masters, Chengdu Open, Citi Open and ATP Rotterdam Open.
As a result, the Bulgarian re-entered the world’s top 15 in November – for the first time since 2018.
Grigor Dimitrov attributes his recent on-field success to his work ethic and improved lifestyle after winning the Brisbane International.
“A win is a win, a championship is a championship, but I think it’s more important to understand where you are. I think what I’ve done over the last four or five months on and off the pitch has paid off hugely in a way. . I think that’s what happened today,” he told a news conference.
The 32-year-old was also delighted to beat 20-year-old Holger Ruhn in the final.
“Playing against top players who are much younger than me, it’s been a great way for me to understand where I’m at. I think that’s what I’m most proud of,” he said.
Dimitrov admitted that the long-awaited win was an emotional one for him and shared his excitement for the upcoming event.
“I think there’s a lot of different levels of emotion for me. I think obviously winning the title means a lot to me. It’s been a while. I think having that moment in a way is what I’m after,” world No. 13 said.
“It’s humbling to me at the same time because I feel like I’ve been playing well, but I also feel like I can be better at some things. Who knows, if these things go well, what’s going to happen to me, ” he added.
Dimitrov will next compete in the Australian Open (January 14-28).He has reached the quarter-finals of the competition three times (2014, 2018, 2021) and the semi-finals in 2017