Grigor Dimitrov has proclaimed that he loved playing in the same era as the legendary trio of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer and would “never give it up for anything.”

Grigor Dimitrov celebrates

The Bulgarian star recalled the experience of facing Tomas Berdych and Nadal in his first two professional matches, describing it as a “reality check at its best.”

Dimitrov defeated Berdych in his first senior ATP Tour match in Rotterdam in 2009, before losing to Nadal, who had just won the Australian Open. He had been a world No 1 junior, having won the Wimbledon and US Open junior titles in 2008.

The 32-year-old holds a 1-14 record against Nadal, a 1-12 record against Djokovic, and a 1-7 record against Federer – who he was compared to early in his career.

While a major title has eluded him to date, Dimitrov has still hit some great heights, having won the ATP Finals, the Cincinnati Masters and reached world No 3 – all during a career-best 2017 season.

Dimitrov, who is currently ranked 13th, followed up a strong second half of 2023 by winning his first title in over six years in Brisbane this month.

The Bulgarian is playing some of the best tennis of his career and is viewed by some as a dark horse at the 2024 Australian Open, where he downed Marton Fucsovics in four sets in the first round on Tuesday.

After beating Fucsovics, Dimitrov gave a long answer when asked if there was a moment he realised competing at the top level in professional tennis would be harder than he thought following his stellar junior career.

“It happened very fast for me. My first professional match was against [Tomas] Berdych [in Rotterdam], and my second professional match was against Rafa,” he said in his press conference.

“Like, if you think about it, Berdych I think was 8 in the world, and I beat him in three sets. I lost [in] three sets to Rafa the following day, and he just came off from winning Australian Open [in 2009]. I mean, so that was a reality check at its best.

“Honestly, if I would have beaten him that day, I think it would have done me a big disservice, because the following week I had to play Gilles Simon. I was 5-3 up in the third and 30-15. I lost that match, because I think top 10 again in the world.

“If you think about it, I had so many of those moments, ‘aha’ moments, that are right there, and the reality struck very quick for me, for which I think I’m more grateful, because I’ve grown, like, immensely, not only as a player, not only the experience that I have built throughout the years, but I think life itself — I often

compare life and tennis for some reason.

“Maybe it’s just me. I don’t know. But, like, I often compare that, and I had to grow fast. Back then I had to play against, for me, one of the best guys I have ever played on tour. I mean, the first top-10 guys, and from 10 to 20 were — I mean, it was scandalous tennis.

“You had to play amazing tennis at times to beat them, and to be able to sustain that you had to be three times fitter. So I had the game but I didn’t have the body. Then at some point I had the, you know, I had the body and the legs but my game was a little bit off. It was just always that constant adjustment for me.

“And again, I’m not complaining I played in that era. I loved it. I would never give it up for anything. If someone says, ‘Oh, you get more titles, whatever’, no, no, no.

“I’m very, very happy, because the experience that I gathered throughout the years and playing against these guys, my God, honestly, after that, nothing can scare you (laughs).”

Dimitrov will face world No 80 Thanasi Kokkinakis in the second round of the Australian Open.