My Wimbledon: Grigor Dimitrov

Grigor Dimitrov is no stranger to Wimbledon. The Bulgarian is set to make his 13th appearance at The Championships this year with his best result a semi-final outing in 2014.

Aiming for another deep run this fortnight, ATPTour.com caught up with the former World No. 3 to discuss his love for Wimbledon, recalling his first memory, favourite tradition and much more...

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What is your first memory of watching Wimbledon?
First for me was always Sampras and Agassi. I think that was the one thing that I always remember. We had certain tournaments in our country that they were broadcasting and I think that was one of the first ones I've ever watched and remembered.

What stands out from those matches?
I don't know, I think it was just the whole atmosphere. I think when you're a kid, you dream big that you always want to be out there, you want to be just like them and be where they are at. So I think there were a lot of interesting moments while I was watching. And I think that this was definitely one of the ones that I have a very vivid memory of nowadays.

What are your first memories of playing Wimbledon?
I think for me it was a little bit different. I played only twice in the juniors and I won the second time. I had a very brief experience when I was a junior on that end, we had to stay off site, we had to play on the outside courts and everything. But of course, I think winning it was probably the highlight for me out there, getting to the semi-finals [in 2014], losing to Novak. There's so many little things that were happening overall at Wimbledon. Each year I feel there's certain moments that I remember.

What were your early thoughts about the aura of the venue?
You feel it in a very different place when you get out there and step out on the grounds at Wimbledon. I think just the whole atmosphere itself changes. And I remember when we had the mid-Sunday and all of that, that was also pretty special. It's the tradition, I think, above all. It’s basically where tennis started in a way so I like the tradition, [I am a] big fan of that.

And of course, over the years, it has also become a little bit more rigorous with the rules and all that, which in a way I understand. But I just like that they've been able to keep that as a sort of a holy place [and] mecca of the sport. And I think everyone looks at that tournament very differently. I think it brings a different meaning to everyone.

What is your favourite Wimbledon tradition and why?
I love the strawberries and cream clearly, but I think the all white is where it's different. I think when I was younger, I was like, ‘Why can’t we just play with more colours? It would have been better!’ But now as the years have gone by, and you learn more things about the tournament and you see everything kind of evolves and improves, then you are like, ‘I owe that to the tournament!’ It's a very interesting dynamic.

Have you ever received a gentle reprimand for some breach of tournament protocol?
No, always been perfect and I don't even think I’ve thrown a racquet here. Not that I will do it very often, but yeah, very interesting moments for me out there. I think also when I was given the wild card after winning the juniors there, was also a very special moment for me as well, getting to play main draw. I think it will never get old.

What is your favourite thing about playing on grass?
It’s a specific surface. I think it’s a shame that we have such a short season on grass. However, I think for me it's a very short impact, you play short points, you try to stay as low as possible. You have to count on certain things a little bit more. You need to be focused, you need to be agile, you need to stay on your toes throughout the whole time and it really challenges you in a different way where you have to emphasise more on very explosive moves, steps, and hits. So you need to be able to alter your game very quick.

Outside of Centre Court, do you have a favourite court out on the grounds?
I love Court No. 1. Of course, Centre is Centre, there's not much to say on that. But I think Court No. 1 is one I love and I think any of the single courts, they've done a great job with it. And also every year you go out there and you see something has improved. And I think that's also what the players really appreciate.