Career Timeline of Grigor Dimitrov: Major Achievements and Milestones

Share: FB Share X Share Reddit Share Reddit Share
Grigor Dimitrov

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

Grigor Dimitrov is a Bulgarian professional tennis player, achieving a career-high ranking of world No. 3, the highest for any Bulgarian player. His most significant victory came at the 2017 ATP Finals. Dimitrov has secured nine ATP Tour singles titles during his career.

2007: Orange Bowl Finalist and US Open Doubles Final

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

2007: Rising Star Recognition

In 2007, Grigor Dimitrov was named the Eddie Herr International Rising Star.

September 2008: US Open Title and Junior World No. 1 Ranking

On September 7, 2008, Grigor Dimitrov won the US Open. On September 8, 2008, he became the junior world No. 1, overtaking Yang Tsung-hua.

2008: Junior Grand Slam Performance

In 2008, Dimitrov reached the quarterfinals of the French Open, won Wimbledon, and won the US Open in Junior competitions.

2008: First title and ATP level match

In 2008, Dimitrov won his first title on clay at a futures tournament in Barcelona. He also participated in his first ATP level match at the Rosmalen Open.

2008: Grand Slam Debut at Wimbledon

In 2008, Grigor Dimitrov made his Grand Slam debut at Wimbledon as the juniors champion. He retired due to a knee injury during his first-round match against Igor Kunitsyn.

2008: US Open Qualification and Challenger Title

In 2008, Grigor Dimitrov qualified for the US Open tournament. He also won his first doubles Challenger title at the ATP Challenger Trophy with Teymuraz Gabashvili.

2008: Dimitrov's Davis Cup Debut in 2008

In 2008, at 16 years old, Dimitrov debuted for Bulgaria in the Davis Cup. Playing in Plovdiv, he had an undefeated record in singles and doubles, promoting his country into the second division of the Europe/Africa zone.

2009: Dimitrov's Coaching with Peter Lundgren Begins in 2009

Around the time of his success at the 2009 Rotterdam Open, Dimitrov formally began a coaching relationship with Peter Lundgren, former coach of Marat Safin and Roger Federer. Lundgren praised Dimitrov, noting that he was better than Federer at the same age.

2009: Dimitrov's Continued Davis Cup Success in 2009

In 2009, Dimitrov returned to the Bulgarian Davis Cup team, winning both his singles rubbers which led to a 3–2 victory over Hungary.

2009: Wildcard entry into Wimbledon men's draw

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

2009: First ATP Tour Main-Draw Win

In 2009, Grigor Dimitrov upset Tomáš Berdych at the Rotterdam Open, securing his first ATP Tour main-draw win.

2012: Appointed Patrick Mouratoglou as coach

In 2012, Dimitrov appointed Patrick Mouratoglou as his coach.

2012: Hopman Cup and Win against Mardy Fish

In 2012, Dimitrov competed at the Hopman Cup and achieved his first win against a top 10 player, Mardy Fish, although it was not an official ATP win.

2012: Shanghai Masters and Swiss Indoors Basel

In 2012, Dimitrov participated in the Shanghai Masters, losing to Novak Djokovic. He also reached the quarterfinals at the Swiss Indoors Basel. At the end of 2012, he was ranked world No. 48.

2012: Dimitrov's Maiden Olympics in 2012 London

In 2012, Dimitrov represented Bulgaria at the London Olympics, winning his first-round match but losing in the second round to Gilles Simon.

2012: Dimitrov's Return to Davis Cup in 2012

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

2012: Wimbledon and Swedish Open

In 2012, Dimitrov won his first-round match against Kevin Anderson at Wimbledon but retired in the second round due to an injury. He then reached the semi-finals of the Swedish Open.

October 2013: First ATP Tour singles title

In October 2013, Dimitrov secured his first ATP Tour singles title at the Stockholm Open, marking the first time a Bulgarian man achieved this milestone.

2013: Confirmed relationship with Sharapova

In 2013, Grigor Dimitrov and Maria Sharapova confirmed their relationship after the Madrid Open, where Dimitrov achieved his first win against a world No. 1 player.

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 reach an ATP final, where he lost to Andy Murray. He also surpassed $1 million earned in prize money.

2014: Brisbane International and Kooyong Exhibition

In 2014, Dimitrov participated in the Brisbane International and the exhibition tournament in Kooyong, Australia, but he failed to take a single victory in Kooyong.

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

In 2014, Grigor Dimitrov's strong performance at the Wimbledon Championships led to his first Grand Slam semifinal appearance. He defeated Andy Murray in the quarterfinals but lost to Novak Djokovic in the semifinals. This performance propelled him into the top 10 of the ATP rankings for the first time, reaching No. 9.

February 2015: Dimitrov Returns to Top Ten in ATP Ranking

In February 2015, at the conclusion of Wimbledon, Grigor Dimitrov returned to the top ten in the ATP ranking for the first time since February 2015.

2015: Dimitrov's Performance in 2015

In 2015, Grigor Dimitrov participated in the Davis Cup against Luxembourg, winning all his matches. He reached the third round in Washington, lost to Jack Sock in the second round at the Rogers Cup, and was eliminated in the third round by Andy Murray at the Cincinnati Masters. He lost in the second round of the US Open to Mikhail Kukushkin.

2015: Davis Cup Playoff

In April 2015, Dimitrov played for the Bulgarian Davis Cup team in the Europe Group II playoffs between Greece and Bulgaria, contributing to Bulgaria retaining their Europe Group II position for 2015.

2016: Dimitrov's Second Olympic Appearance in 2016 Rio

In 2016, Dimitrov made his second Olympic appearance in Rio but was defeated in the first round by Marin Čilić.

2016: Dimitrov Reaches Cincinnati Masters Semifinal and Returns to Top 30 ATP Ranking

In 2016, Grigor Dimitrov participated in the Summer Olympics but lost in the first round to Marin Čilić. He reached the Cincinnati Masters semifinal, beating Wawrinka in the third round, and returned to the top 30 of the ATP ranking, securing the second spot in the US Open Series standings.

2016: Dimitrov Reaches Fourth Round at US Open

In 2016, Grigor Dimitrov, seeded 22nd, reached the fourth round of the US Open for the second time in his career before losing to Andy Murray.

2016: First win over a Top 2 opponent since 2016

In 2016, at Indian Wells, Grigor Dimitrov defeated world No. 2 Daniil Medvedev to reach the quarterfinals. This marked his first win over a top 2 opponent since 2016. He came back from a set and a double-break down at 4–6, 1–4 to eliminate the reigning US Open champion.

2016: Dimitrov Splits with Coach and Hires New Coach

In June 2016, Grigor Dimitrov lost in the first rounds in Stuttgart and London. He split with his coach Franco Davín prior to Wimbledon and hired Daniel Vallverdu as his new coach.

November 2017: ATP Finals victory and Career High Ranking

In November 2017, Grigor Dimitrov achieved the highest ranking of his career, reaching world No. 3 in singles by the ATP after winning the ATP Finals.

2017: Dimitrov's Performance at the 2017 Australian Open

Dimitrov displayed his backhand ability more than 50 times alone in his semi-final against Rafael Nadal on the Australian Open 2017.

2017: Dimitrov Reaches US Open Semifinals

In 2017, Dimitrov reached his first Grand Slam semifinal since the 2017 Australian Open at the US Open. Dimitrov upset Roger Federer in a lengthy five-set match to reach the Semifinals. He then lost to Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals, as a result Dimitrov rose 53 ranking places in a single tournament.

2017: Dimitrov's Significant Milestones in 2017

In 2017, Grigor Dimitrov achieved significant milestones, including his first Masters 1000 title, first ATP Finals crown, five tour finals, four tour titles, eight top-10 match wins, 250 career match wins, exceeding $10,000,000 in career earnings, exceeding $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, Grigor Dimitrov won the Brisbane title, defeating Kei Nishikori in the final. He then reached the semifinals of the Australian Open, where he was eliminated by Rafael Nadal in a five-set match.

2017: Dimitrov Wins ATP Finals

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, ending the year at a career-high world No. 3.

2018: Dimitrov First Final since 2018

In 2018, Grigor Dimitrov reached the final at Geneva, his first final since 2018. He lost to Nicolás Jarry in the final.

2018: Dimitrov's Performance in Toronto Masters and Cincinnati Masters 2018

In 2018, Grigor Dimitrov reached the quarterfinals at the Toronto Masters, losing to Kevin Anderson. He failed to defend his title in Cincinnati, losing to Novak Djokovic. His ranking dropped to world No. 8, and he faced a first-round elimination at the US Open.

2018: Dimitrov's Performance in Brisbane and Australian Open 2018

In 2018, Grigor Dimitrov started his season in Brisbane as the defending champion but was eliminated in the semi-finals by Nick Kyrgios. He reached the quarter-finals of the Australian Open, where he lost to Kyle Edmund. He withdrew from the Sofia Open due to a shoulder injury.

2018: Dimitrov at the Paris Masters

In 2018, at the Paris Masters, Grigor Dimitrov defeated Richard Gasquet and Karen Khachanov before losing to Alexander Zverev in the round of 16.

2018: Dimitrov reaches Rotterdam Open Semifinals for the first time since 2018

In 2018, at the Rotterdam Open, Grigor Dimitrov defeated Alex de Minaur to reach his first semifinal since 2018 at this tournament. He lost to Daniil Medvedev.

2019: Dimitrov Wins Against Federer at the 2019 US Open

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

2019: Dimitrov's Performance in Brisbane and Australian Open 2019

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

2020: Dimitrov Skips 2020 Tokyo Olympics

In 2020, Dimitrov skipped the Tokyo Olympics and registered for the ATP 250 tournament in Atlanta, but withdrew due to not meeting minimal qualification requirements related to Davis Cup participation.

2020: Dimitrov Leads Bulgaria in 2020 ATP Cup

In January 2020, Grigor Dimitrov captained the Bulgarian team in the inaugural ATP Cup. He won his single matches against Dan Evans and Radu Albot and pulled a victory in doubles with teammate Alexandar Lazarov.

September 2021: Dimitrov drops out of top 25 after US Open

On September 13, 2021, Grigor Dimitrov dropped out of the top 25, falling to No. 29 in the rankings, because he could not defend his points from the 2019 US Open semifinal, following a foot injury that forced him to retire in the second round of the US Open.

2021: Dimitrov reaches San Diego Open Semifinals

In 2021, at the San Diego Open, Grigor Dimitrov secured his first win against Márton Fucsovics, defeated August Holmgren, and won against Aslan Karatsev to reach the semifinals, marking his first semifinal appearance of the year, where he lost to Casper Ruud.

November 2022: Dimitrov finishes year ranked No. 28

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

2022: Dimitrov's Performance in Canadian Open and Vienna

In 2022, Grigor Dimitrov reached the second round in singles and doubles at the Canadian Open. Later in the year, at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna, he defeated Andrey Rublev to reach the quarterfinals and Marcos Giron to reach the semifinals, before losing to Daniil Medvedev.

2022: Dimitrov Reaches 350 Career Wins

In 2022, at the Delray Beach Open, following his second-round win over Mitchell Krueger, Grigor Dimitrov became the second man born in the ‘90s or later to reach 350 career wins. He became the 130th man in the Open Era and the 22nd active player to achieve this milestone.

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 after the Monte-Carlo Masters.

July 2023: Dimitrov Returns to Top 20

On July 24, 2023, Grigor Dimitrov returned to the top 20 in the rankings after a strong performance at Wimbledon.

November 2023: Dimitrov Returns to Top 15

On November 6, 2023, Grigor Dimitrov returned to the top 15, at world No. 14 in the rankings, after reaching his first Masters final since 2017 at the Paris Masters, where he lost to Novak Djokovic.

2023: Dimitrov at the Australian Open 2023

In 2023, at the Australian Open, Grigor Dimitrov reached the third round before losing to Novak Djokovic, who went on to win his 10th Australian Open and 22nd Grand Slam.

2023: Dimitrov records his 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, losing to Alexander Zverev.

January 2024: Dimitrov wins ninth title at Brisbane

In January 2024, Grigor Dimitrov won his ninth title at Brisbane, defeating Holger Rune in the final, and moved to No. 13 in the singles rankings.

March 2024: Dimitrov Returns to Top 12

On March 18, 2024, Grigor Dimitrov returned to his highest ranking of world No. 12 after reaching the fourth round at Indian Wells. Later, at the Miami Open, he completed the career set of quarterfinal showings at all nine active Masters events and reached his third Masters final, losing to Jannik Sinner. 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's 2024 Season Highlights

In 2024, Dimitrov was selected for Team Europe at the Laver Cup for the second time. At the Shanghai Masters in 2024, he secured his 40th win of the season. He reached the semifinals at the Stockholm Open, recording his 100th indoor win. Dimitrov reached his 21st ATP career final at the tournament. At the Rolex Paris Masters in 2024, Dimitrov reached his 20th Masters quarterfinal, tying with Pete Sampras and Marat Safin for fourth all-time record wins at the tournament with 24.

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

In 2024, Grigor Dimitrov reached the French Open quarterfinals, becoming only the second player born in the 1990s to complete the career set of both Grand Slam and Masters 1000 quarterfinals.

2024: Dimitrov at the Australian Open 2024

In 2024, Grigor Dimitrov reached the third round at the Australian Open, losing to Nuno Borges.

2024: Dimitrov's Performance at Indian Wells and Miami Open 2024

In 2024, at Indian Wells, Dimitrov played a marathon match against Gaël Monfils, battling a thumb injury, to reach the round of 16. At the Miami Open in 2024, where he was defending runner-up points, Dimitrov reached the quarterfinals and then the semifinals, ultimately losing to Novak Djokovic. His ranking dropped to world No. 18 as he couldn't defend his finalist points.

2024: Dimitrov at Monte-Carlo and Italian Open 2024

In 2024, at the Monte-Carlo Masters, Grigor Dimitrov played the longest best-of-three match in the tournament's history. At the Italian Open, he reached the round of 16, losing to Taylor Fritz.

2024: Dimitrov's comeback at Wimbledon Championships

In 2024, at the Wimbledon Championships, Grigor Dimitrov came back from two sets to love deficit to defeat Shang Juncheng and reach the third round. It was the ninth overall comeback from two sets down in a single edition of the All England Club, tying the record for most comebacks at the tournament in the Open Era.