In Major Talk, three-time Grand Slam semi-finalist Grigor Dimitrov talks to Alize Lim about his childhood, his goals and his doubts as a tennis player.<br /><br />KEY MOMENTS<br /><br />0.37 – Grigor talks about his childhood and how he began playing tennis, encouraged by both his parents, and particularly his dad, who was his first coach.<br />2.22 – How Grigor got the idea of turning fully professional – and how he knew this would be what he would do for the rest of his life.<br />3.16 – How to get into tennis despite a lack of cash – and how Grigor benefited from his family’s support.<br />4.42 – The decision to go to academies to train – Sanchez Casal in Spain, and Mouratoglou in Paris.<br />6.19 – The moment Grigor realised there were similarities between his game and Roger Federer’s.<br />8.57 – The differences between Grigor and Roger Federer – despite people insisting on drawing parallels, and giving him the “Baby Fed” nickname.<br />10.00 – The message Federer once sent Grigor – ahead of a match against Rafael Nadal.<br />10.18 – The players Grigor admired as a child – including Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi.<br />12.37 – Grigor talks about the first sport he tried, the first tennis match he played, the first Grand Slam he entered – and the first racquet he broke!<br /><br />“It was by accident!” he insists.<br /><br />14.08 – The version of Grigor he sees as his best self – and his experiences playing the Big Four.<br />19.30 – Why Grigor sees the Nitto ATP Finals triumph in 2017 as one of the pinnacles of his career – so far.<br />21.12 – Why the quarter-final defeat to Kyle Edmund at the 2018 Australian Open wasn’t a turning point.<br /><br />“It was just a match that I lost and there were things that I clearly had to deal with and I was dealing with it,” he says.<br /><br />22.46 – How Grigor bounced back in 2019 to beat Roger Federer at the US Open – and how Andre Agassi gave him extra motivation.<br /><br />“He of course helped me as a person, but he made me look a bit more in depth, in my core values and what I believed in,” he recalls.<br /><br />27.16 – Whether Grigor is back at his best already – or whether there is more to come.<br />29.03 – Grigor’s career goals – and why Grand Slam titles still matter.<br />30.06 – Turning 30, staying fit and healthy, and whether Grigor could still peak.<br />30.47 – Grigor admits he can sometimes find it tough to stay emotionally balanced – and reveals some of his other challenges.<br />33.16 – How Grigor would like to be remembered – and how tennis players can leave a legacy.
