WORDS OF WISDOM IN MONACO
© ua . depositphotos . com
HM : Life is a sequence of victories and defeats , how do you celebrate your victories ? Do you have any rituals ?
GD : Now I celebrate victories the same way , winning or losing . When it ’ s good , it shouldn ’ t be that good , and when it ’ s low , it shouldn ’ t be that low . Our sport requires that . And I think , that ’ s why finding the balance is the same thing , I ’ d say , in life . Nothing is ever that good and nothing is ever that bad . Once you start finding that balance , you start learning not the rules of life , but you learn the elements of life .
I draw inspiration from so many different things and if I can from anything , whether it ’ s from going on a racetrack or just enjoying a walk , or having a nice painting . If you ’ re able to take some positivity out of it and implement it , use it , it ’ s exciting . In the end , when you do things , it ’ s very important to have a purpose .
HM : Coming back to wins and losses , do you work on your mistakes ?
GD : I think I ’ ve learned from mistakes but I ’ ve never wanted to go too deep into it . I ’ m very rigorous with myself . The best thing in our sport is that you always have a next week . So you always have time to correct yourself , which is a good thing . In life , you don ’ t really have that much time to do that kind of thing . What we do is we live our dream right now , on the court . It ’ s not real life . As an athlete , you have an expiration date , just like any product in the store . We live our dream , it ’ s not gonna be forever . So , you better correct your mistakes quickly .
HM : Do you have a tennis player in mind who you would like to win against ?
GD : Well , I did it last year at the US open against Roger . And I think to beat him on such an occasion and the way it happened , it meant more to me than against any other player . Of course I appreciate so many other wins that I ’ ve had , but that particular win , it meant more than the actual win to me . I would say that match was the one that sticks out the most .
HM : Have you ever thought about what you ’ re going to do after your career is finished ?
GD : I have a lot of ideas , but I think this year has shifted so many other things that I ’ m just gonna keep my options open . Maybe one year of holiday ?
I could never answer when people asked me if I were not to play tennis , what else would I do ? I don ’ t know . I only wanted to be a tennis player and it just happened .
I have so many different interests and in so many different parts of the world before Corona . I loved going to fashion shows . Architecture , I ’ m a big fan . A big thing is that I really wanna help upcoming kid players , the young generation , early on between 10 and 20 years old , because I think this is one of the most important things for an upcoming player .
HM : You are the ambassador of a few famous and well-known brands . I think the most important part is to agree with their conception , philosophy , but at the same time , carrying some of your own messages through these collaborations .
GD : Of course . I think that this is very important , every time I sign a contract for whatever reason , whether it ’ s with a tournament or any brand , it ’ s because I have my reasons to do that . I ’ ve just been so fortunate to be with Rolex , with Nike , with Wilson for 12 years now . If I ’ m signing with a company it ’ s because I know I can add value that I think the company needs . For me it ’ s important to be distinguished , it ’ s important for you to find your own identity .
And I always say , in order to be in that place , you must be different and I like doing different things and I like thinking outside of the box .
HM : Are you involved in charities ?
GD : I ’ ve always been passionate about it . Last year when I got injured for the first time , I went home to Bulgaria . I was with my mom and there were a couple places I wanted to visit just to see how the kids were living . Especially in the orphanages in some of the areas there to see how they are . That was not an easy view , it was tough , it was hard to see kids that have no chance in life , basically .
I just started my own charitable foundation , the Grigor Dimitrov Foundation so I ’ m very happy . It ’ s in Bulgaria . In the past , we ’ ve helped number of foundations there . Hopefully we can do some more in the future when things get better .
HM : The situation with orphans , is it crucial in Bulgaria ?
GD : It ’ s not crucial , but I have a story . I was a kid and my mom always used to pick me up from school . I was very , very young . We always used to stop at a traffic light to wait to pass . And every time we were stopping , there were these kids behind us and they were always stretching their arms through the fence netting . My mother tried to explain : « Son , they ’ re there because they don ’ t have family ». So I always felt so sad and I was crying , when I was passing by that place . And one day , when my mom asked : « You want to help them ?» and I was like : « Yes , I want to help them one day ». And she said : « Just become a good tennis player , then start helping kids ». So that ’ s been stuck in my head since I was a kid . I always wanted to build that type of school .
I also support the ALEKSANDR SAVCHUK foundation . The objective of the foundation is to promote educational , sporting and scientific projects against cancer .
HM : I saw that you are surfing , mountain biking , do you need more extremes in your life ?
GD : I need my adrenaline going . I definitely need that , I ’ m very co-dependent on exercising . You know how I can ’ t stay at home much . But with time , I also learned to appreciate nature , I love being outdoors , I love doing a lot of activities , I love being in the sea , I love
26 / Hello Monaco Winter 2020 – 2021 www . hellomonaco . com