Career Timeline of Grigor Dimitrov: Major Achievements and Milestones

How Grigor Dimitrov built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.

Grigor Dimitrov is a Bulgarian professional tennis player who achieved a career-high ranking of world No. 3, the highest ever for a Bulgarian player. His most significant victory came at the 2017 ATP Finals. He has won nine ATP Tour singles titles throughout his career. Dimitrov is a prominent figure in the world of tennis and a source of national pride for Bulgaria.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles

1990: Dimitrov become the third man born in 1990 to record 40 or more Top 10 wins

In March 2024, Dimitrov became just the third man born in 1990 or later to record 40 or more Top 10 wins after Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev and the eight active player overall.

2006: Won Orange Bowl U16 Boys Singles

In 2006, Grigor Dimitrov won the Orange Bowl U16 boys singles tournament.

2007: Finalist at Orange Bowl U18 and US Open Doubles

In 2007, Grigor Dimitrov was a finalist at the Orange Bowl U18 boys singles and reached the US Open doubles final with Vasek Pospisil.

September 2008: Won US Open and Became Junior World No. 1

On 7 September 2008, Grigor Dimitrov won the US Open boys' singles title. On 8 September 2008, he became the junior world No. 1.

2008: Wimbledon Debut and Injury

At his Grand Slam debut at Wimbledon in 2008, Grigor Dimitrov won the first set but then suffered a knee injury, leading to his retirement from the match.

2008: Davis Cup Debut

In 2008, Grigor Dimitrov made his Davis Cup debut for Bulgaria as a 16-year-old in Plovdiv. He had an undefeated record in both singles and doubles, which helped his country get promoted into the second division of the Europe/Africa zone.

2008: Participation in Various Tournaments

In 2008, Grigor Dimitrov participated in the Swedish Open, Challenger Open Castilla y León, Istanbul Challenger, US Open qualification tournament, ATP Challenger Trophy, and Stockholm Open, with varying results.

2008: First Men's Title and ATP Level Match

In 2008, Grigor Dimitrov won his first title at a futures tournament in Barcelona and played his first ATP level match at the Rosmalen Open.

2008: Junior Grand Slam Titles

In 2008, Grigor Dimitrov won the Wimbledon Championships and the US Open boys' singles titles.

2009: Coaching Relationship with Peter Lundgren

Around the time of his success at the 2009 Rotterdam Open, Grigor Dimitrov began a formal coaching relationship with Peter Lundgren, who had previously coached Marat Safin and Roger Federer.

2009: First ATP Tour Main-Draw Win

In 2009, Grigor Dimitrov scored an upset victory over Tomáš Berdych at the Rotterdam Open, earning his first ATP Tour main-draw win.

2009: Guaranteed Wimbledon Entry

In 2009, Grigor Dimitrov's Wimbledon victory guaranteed him a wildcard entry into the Wimbledon men's draw.

2009: Davis Cup Victory

In 2009, a 17-year-old Grigor Dimitrov played for the Bulgarian Davis Cup team in the first round of the Davis Cup Europe/Africa zone. He won both of his singles matches, resulting in a 3–2 victory over Hungary.

June 2010: End of Coaching Relationship with Lundgren

In June 2010, Grigor Dimitrov ended his coaching relationship with Peter Lundgren and began being coached by Peter McNamara.

2011: End of Coaching Relationship with McNamara

At the end of the 2011 season, Grigor Dimitrov and Peter McNamara ended their coaching relationship.

November 2012: Joins Good to Great Tennis Academy

On November 26, 2012, Grigor Dimitrov left the Patrick Mouratoglou Academy and joined the Good to Great Tennis Academy in Sweden, run by Magnus Norman, Nicklas Kulti, and Mikael Tillström.

2012: Appointed Patrick Mouratoglou as Coach

In 2012, Grigor Dimitrov appointed Patrick Mouratoglou as his coach.

2012: Hopman Cup and Win Against Mardy Fish

In 2012, Grigor Dimitrov competed at the Hopman Cup, where his team had mixed results. Dimitrov achieved his first win against a top 10 player, Mardy Fish, although not an official ATP win.

2012: Masters and Swiss Indoors Basel

In 2012, Grigor Dimitrov competed at the Shanghai Masters and Swiss Indoors Basel, reaching the quarterfinals in Basel. He ended the year ranked world No. 48 in singles.

2012: Olympic Debut in London

In 2012, Grigor Dimitrov represented Bulgaria at the London Olympics. He won his first-round match in the singles competition against Łukasz Kubot, but was then defeated by Gilles Simon.

2012: Return to Davis Cup Competition

In 2012, Grigor Dimitrov returned to Davis Cup competition as a top 100 player. The Bulgarians advanced through the round-robin tournament in Sofia and were promoted to the second division of the Europe/Africa zone.

2012: Wimbledon and Swedish Open Performance

In 2012, Grigor Dimitrov won his first-round match at Wimbledon but retired in the second round due to injury. He reached the semifinals of the Swedish Open, losing to David Ferrer.

October 2013: First ATP Tour Title

In October 2013, Grigor Dimitrov won his first ATP Tour singles title at the Stockholm Open, becoming the first Bulgarian man to achieve this.

October 2013: Hired Roger Rasheed as Coach

On October 7, 2013, Grigor Dimitrov announced that he had hired Roger Rasheed to be his new coach.

2013: First ATP Singles Final

In 2013, Grigor Dimitrov reached his first ATP singles final at the Brisbane International, becoming the first Bulgarian player to do so, but lost to Andy Murray. He surpassed $1 million in prize money.

2013: Dimitrov reached that stage or higher of at least one Masters event every season since 2013

In March 2024, Dimitrov reached that stage or higher of at least one Masters event every season for 12 years in a row since 2013.

2014: Dimitrov reaches Wimbledon Semifinals and Enters Top 10 ATP Rankings

In 2014, Grigor Dimitrov had a strong performance at the Wimbledon Championships, reaching the semifinals after defeating defending champion Andy Murray in the quarterfinals. Although he lost to Novak Djokovic in the semifinals, this performance led him to enter the top 10 of the ATP rankings for the first time, making him the first Bulgarian male tennis player to achieve this milestone.

2014: Brisbane International and Kooyong Exhibition

In 2014, Grigor Dimitrov participated in the Brisbane International and the Kooyong exhibition tournament, with limited success.

February 2015: Dimitrov Returns to Top 10 after Wimbledon in February 2015

At the conclusion of Wimbledon in February 2015, Grigor Dimitrov returned to the top ten rankings for the first time since February 2015.

July 2015: Parting Ways with Roger Rasheed

On July 7, 2015, Grigor Dimitrov announced that he would be parting ways with coach Roger Rasheed.

September 2015: Hired Franco Davín as Coach

On September 25, 2015, Grigor Dimitrov announced that he had hired Juan Martín del Potro's former coach, Franco Davín.

2015: Mixed results for Dimitrov in 2015

In 2015, Grigor Dimitrov participated in the Davis Cup, winning all his matches against Luxembourg. He reached the third round in Washington but faced early exits at the Rogers Cup, Cincinnati Masters, and the US Open. His performance was inconsistent throughout the year.

2015: Davis Cup Playoff Victory

In April 2015, Grigor Dimitrov played for the Bulgarian Davis Cup team, contributing to their victory against Greece, securing their position in Europe Group II for 2016.

June 2016: Coached by Daniel Vallverdu

Since June 2016, Grigor Dimitrov has been coached by Daniel Vallverdu.

2016: Dimitrov secures first top 2 win since 2016 at Indian Wells

At Indian Wells in 2016, Grigor Dimitrov defeated world No. 2 Daniil Medvedev to reach the quarterfinals. He came back from a set and a double-break down to eliminate the reigning US Open champion and earn his first win over a top 2 opponent since 2016.

2016: Olympic Appearance in Rio

In 2016, Grigor Dimitrov made his second Olympic appearance in Rio. He was defeated in the first round of the singles competition by Marin Čilić.

2016: Dimitrov reaches Cincinnati Masters Semifinal and Returns to Top 30 in 2016

In 2016, Grigor Dimitrov participated in the Summer Olympics, losing in the first round. He then had a good run in Cincinnati, reaching the Masters semifinal. This performance helped him secure the second spot in the 2016 US Open Series standings and return to the top 30 of the ATP rankings.

2016: Dimitrov reaches fourth round of US Open in 2016

In 2016, Grigor Dimitrov, seeded 22nd, reached the fourth round of the US Open, marking his second time reaching this stage in his career. He was eventually defeated by Andy Murray.

2016: Dimitrov hires Daniel Vallverdu as coach in 2016

In June 2016, Grigor Dimitrov experienced further setbacks, losing in the first rounds at Stuttgart and London. He split with his coach Franco Davín prior to Wimbledon and subsequently hired Daniel Vallverdu as his new coach. He reached the second round at Wimbledon.

2016: Parted Ways with Franco Davín

In the first half of 2016, Grigor Dimitrov and Franco Davín parted ways.

November 2017: ATP Finals Victory

In November 2017, Grigor Dimitrov won the ATP Finals, marking the biggest title of his career and achieving a world No. 3 ranking.

2017: Dimitrov reaches Masters final since 2017

At Shanghai in 2023, Dimitrov defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas and reached his first Masters final since 2017, where he lost to Novak Djokovic.

2017: Success in 2017 Season

Grigor Dimitrov credited Daniel Vallverdu with his improved performance during the 2017 season, especially in matches against top ten players.

2017: Dimitrov Achieves Significant Milestones in 2017

In 2017, Grigor Dimitrov achieved several significant milestones, including his first Masters 1000 title, first ATP Finals crown, reaching five tour finals, winning four tour titles, achieving eight top-10 match wins, reaching 250 career match wins, surpassing $10,000,000 in career earnings, earning over $5,000,000 in a single season, and reaching his second Grand Slam semifinal.

2017: Dimitrov wins Brisbane title and reaches Australian Open Semifinals in 2017

In 2017, Grigor Dimitrov had a strong start to the season, winning the Brisbane International title after defeating Kei Nishikori in the final. He then reached the semifinals of the Australian Open, where he was defeated by Rafael Nadal in a close five-set match.

2017: Dimitrov wins ATP Finals Title in 2017

In 2017, Grigor Dimitrov won the biggest title of his career at the ATP Finals, defeating David Goffin in the final. He finished the tournament as an undefeated champion, earning $2,549,000 and 1,500 ranking points, which helped him end the year at a career-high world No. 3.

2017: Dimitrov reaches his third Masters final defeating back to back top 5 players (last time was in Brisbane 2017)

In March 2024, Dimitrov reached his third Masters final defeating back to back top 5 players (last time was in Brisbane 2017).

2017: Australian Open Semifinal

In the Australian Open 2017 semifinal against Rafael Nadal, Grigor Dimitrov displayed his backhand ability more than 50 times.

October 2018: Dimitrov Returns to World No. 12 Ranking

In March 2024, Grigor Dimitrov returned to his highest ranking of world No. 12 on March 18, 2024, for the first time since October 29 2018 when he was ranked at No. 10.

November 2018: Dimitrov returns to the top 10

In March 2024, Dimitrov returned for the first time in 260 weeks (3rd longest gap in the Open Era) since November 2018 to the top 10 at world No. 9 in the rankings.

2018: Dimitrov reaches round of 16 at Paris Masters

At the 2018 Paris Masters, Grigor Dimitrov defeated Richard Gasquet and Karen Khachanov to reach the round of 16, where he was defeated by Alexander Zverev.

2018: Dimitrov's Mixed Results in 2018

In 2018, Grigor Dimitrov reached the quarterfinals at the Toronto Masters and lost in the third round in Cincinnati. He suffered a first-round elimination at the US Open, leading to a drop in his ranking to world No. 8.

2018: Dimitrov's 2018 Season Start and Shoulder Injury

In 2018, Grigor Dimitrov started the season in Brisbane as the defending champion, reaching the semi-finals. He reached the quarter-finals of the Australian Open, but lost to Kyle Edmund. He later withdrew from the Sofia Open due to a shoulder injury.

2018: Dimitrov reaches Geneva Open Final

In 2018, at the Geneva Open, Grigor Dimitrov won his first two rounds matches and reached the semifinals. He reached his first final since 2018 defeating Taylor Fritz before losing in the final to Nicolás Jarry. Dimitrov reached the fourth round at Roland Garros. He lost to Alexander Zverev.

2018: Dimitrov reaches his highest since 2018

In January 2024, at Brisbane, Grigor Dimitrov moved to No. 13 in the singles rankings on January 8, 2024, his highest since 2018.

May 2019: Parted Ways with Daniel Vallverdu

On May 7, 2019, Grigor Dimitrov and Daniel Vallverdu ended their coaching partnership.

2019: Victory Over Federer at US Open

At the US Open 2019, Grigor Dimitrov won one of his eight meetings with Roger Federer.

2019: Dimitrov's Early 2019 Season

In January 2019, Grigor Dimitrov started his campaign in Brisbane, losing in the quarterfinals to Kei Nishikori. He reached the last 16 of the Australian Open, but was knocked out by Frances Tiafoe.

2020: Dimitrov reaches the round of 16 at the 2024 Italian Open, for the first time since 2020

At the 2024 Italian Open Grigor Dimitrov reached again the round of 16, for the first time since 2020 at this Masters, defeating two lefties Yoshihito Nishioka and qualifier Térence Atmane. In the fourth round, he lost to Taylor Fritz.

2020: Coached by Christian Groh

During 2020, Grigor Dimitrov worked with the German coach Christian Groh, before Dante Bottini replaced him.

2020: Skipped Tokyo Olympics

In 2020, Grigor Dimitrov chose not to participate in the Tokyo Olympics. He had registered for the ATP 250 tournament in Atlanta but withdrew because he didn't meet the requirements due to his lack of Davis Cup representation.

2020: Dimitrov leads Bulgarian team at 2020 ATP Cup

In January 2020, Grigor Dimitrov captained the Bulgarian team at the inaugural ATP Cup. He won his singles matches against Dan Evans and Radu Albot and also won a doubles match with teammate Alexandar Lazarov against Jamie Murray and Joe Salisbury.

January 2021: Coached by Dante Bottini

Since 3 January 2021, Grigor Dimitrov was coached by Dante Bottini.

September 2021: Dimitrov drops out of top 25

On September 13, 2021, Grigor Dimitrov dropped out of the top 25, landing at No. 29 in the rankings. This was due to his inability to defend his points from the 2019 US Open semifinal.

2021: Dimitrov reaches San Diego Open Semifinals

In 2021, at the San Diego Open, Grigor Dimitrov secured his first win against Márton Fucsovics and progressed to the second round. He then defeated August Holmgren to reach his fifth quarterfinal of the season. He reached his first semifinal of the year defeating Aslan Karatsev. In the semifinals, he was defeated by Casper Ruud.

September 2022: Split with Dante Bottini

Grigor Dimitrov split with Dante Bottini in September 2022.

October 2022: Vallverdu to Coach Dimitrov Again

In October 2022, Daniel Vallverdu agreed to coach Grigor Dimitrov again until the end of the 2022 season.

November 2022: Dimitrov finishes the year in the top 30

On November 21, 2022, Grigor Dimitrov finished the year ranked world No. 28, marking his tenth consecutive year in the top 30.

November 2022: End of 2022 Season with Vallverdu

The 2022 season, during which Daniel Vallverdu coached Grigor Dimitrov again, ended in November 2022.

December 2022: Vallverdu to Coach Dimitrov in 2023

On December 1, 2022, it was confirmed that Daniel Vallverdu would continue to coach Grigor Dimitrov in 2023.

2022: Dimitrov reaches Masters semifinal since 2022 Monte-Carlo Masters

At Shanghai in 2023, Dimitrov reached the fourth round defeating Karen Khachanov. Next he defeated Carlos Alcaraz to reach the quarterfinals of a Masters 1000 for the first time in the season and only the second time at this Masters. He defeated Nicolás Jarry and reached his first Masters semifinal since the 2022 Monte-Carlo Masters. He lost to Andrey Rublev.

2022: Dimitrov's 2022 Season

In 2022, at the Canadian Open, Grigor Dimitrov reached the second round in singles and in doubles with Andrey Rublev. The pair also reached the second round of the 2022 Western & Southern Open. Following two straight first-round losses at the 2022 Sofia Open and the 2022 Stockholm Open, he won his opening match at the 2022 Erste Bank Open in Vienna. He reached the quarterfinals and Marcos Giron to reach his third semifinal of the season. He lost to Daniil Medvedev. At the 2022 Rolex Paris Masters he reached the third round before losing to Carlos Alcaraz, to end his season.

2022: Dimitrov reaches 350 career wins

In 2022, at the Delray Beach Open, following his second round win over Mitchell Krueger, Grigor Dimitrov became only the second man born in the ‘90s or later to reach 350 career wins, after Milos Raonic.

April 2023: Dimitrov drops out of top 30

On April 17, 2023, Grigor Dimitrov dropped outside of the top 30 in the rankings, being unable to defend his semifinal points from the previous year.

July 2023: Dimitrov Returns to Top 20

On July 24, 2023, Grigor Dimitrov returned to the top 20 in the rankings.

November 2023: Dimitrov reaches Masters final since 2017

In November 2023, at the Paris Masters Grigor Dimitrov reached again the round of 16 defeating Daniil Medvedev. Next, he defeated Alexander Bublik in straight sets to reach back-to-back quarterfinals at a Masters level. He reached his second, consecutive Masters semifinal for the season defeating Hubert Hurkacz for his 40th win. Next he defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas and reached his first Masters final since 2017, where he lost to Novak Djokovic. As a result, he returned to the top 15, at world No. 14 on November 6, 2023.

2023: Vallverdu to Coach Dimitrov

In 2023, Daniel Vallverdu continued coaching Grigor Dimitrov.

2023: Dimitrov reaches third round at Australian Open

In 2023, at the Australian Open, Grigor Dimitrov reached the third round defeating Aslan Karatsev and Laslo Djere before losing to Novak Djokovic.

2023: Dimitrov's performance at BNP Paribas Open and Miami Open

In 2023, at the BNP Paribas Open, Grigor Dimitrov lost in the second round to Jason Kubler after retiring with a right-knee injury. In Miami, he won his second round match against Jan-Lennard Struff.

2023: Dimitrov Records 400th Career Win at Chengdu Open

In 2023, at the Chengdu Open, Grigor Dimitrov recorded his 400th career win defeating Juan Pablo Varillas. He reached the semifinals defeating Christopher O'Connell. He lost to Alexander Zverev.

2023: Dimitrov to participate at the 2023 United Cup

In November 2022, Grigor Dimitrov was confirmed on November 23 as a participant at the 2023 United Cup as part of the Bulgarian team. This was based on his ranking as the Bulgarian male player No. 1.

January 2024: Dimitrov wins Brisbane International

In January 2024, at Brisbane, Grigor Dimitrov reached his third final at the tournament defeating Andy Murray, Daniel Altmaier, Rinky Hijikata and Jordan Thompson. He defeated Holger Rune in the final to win his ninth title and first since 2017. With the title win, he recorded more match wins (23) than any other player at this tournament. As a result, he moved to No. 13 in the singles rankings on January 8, 2024, his highest since 2018.

March 2024: Dimitrov Returns to World No. 12 Ranking

On March 18, 2024, Grigor Dimitrov returned to his highest ranking of world No. 12 for the first time since October 29, 2018. He won his next match against Hubert Hurkacz and thus completed the full career set of quarterfinal showings at all nine active Masters events. He reached his third Masters final defeating back to back top 5 players (last time was in Brisbane 2017), for his first win against Alexander Zverev in 10 years. He returned for the first time in 260 weeks since November 2018 to the top 10 at world No. 9 in the rankings.

2024: Dimitrov plays longest match in Monte-Carlo Masters history

At the 2024 Monte-Carlo Masters, Grigor Dimitrov played the longest best-of-three match in the tournament history lasting 3 and half hours before succumbing to Holger Rune.

2024: Dimitrov comes back from two sets down at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships

At the 2024 Wimbledon Championships, Grigor Dimitrov came back from two sets to love deficit for the second time in his career, defeating Shang Juncheng to reach the third round.

2024: Laver Cup and Shanghai Masters

In 2024, Grigor Dimitrov was selected for Team Europe at the Laver Cup for the second time. At the 2024 Shanghai Masters, he achieved his 40th win of the season, defeating Alexei Popyrin, and advanced to the round of 16. He reached the semifinals at the 2024 Stockholm Open, marking his 100th indoor win against Dominic Stricker. Dimitrov reached his 21st ATP career final at the tournament, defeating Tallon Griekspoor. At the 2024 Rolex Paris Masters, he made his 20th Masters quarterfinal.

2024: Completes Career Set of Grand Slam and Masters 1000 Quarterfinals

In 2024, after reaching the French Open quarterfinals, Grigor Dimitrov became the second player born in the 1990s to complete the career set of Grand Slam and Masters 1000 quarterfinals.

2024: Indian Wells and Miami Open

In 2024, at Indian Wells, Grigor Dimitrov played against Gaël Monfils, battling a thumb injury, and reached the round of 16. At the Miami Open where he was defending runner-up points from 2024, Dimitrov reached the quarterfinals with wins over Karen Khachanov and Brandon Nakashima. He reached consecutive semifinals defeating Francisco Cerúndolo, but lost to Novak Djokovic, and dropped to world No. 18.

2024: Dimitrov at the 2024 Australian Open

In 2024, seeded 13th at the Australian Open where he made his record 52nd consecutive major appearance, Grigor Dimitrov reached the second round with a win over Marton Fucsovics, and then won over Kokkinakis in the second round, but lost in the third round to Nuno Borges.