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WIMBLEDON

July 2, 2016

Grigor Dimitrov

London, England

S. JOHNSON/G. Dimitrov
6‑7, 7‑6, 6‑4, 6‑2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. It's obviously tough on everyone. How did you deal with the conditions and how big of a factor was it all?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: Well, obviously it's tough conditions. I definitely didn't play up to my expectations. I think he played good throughout the whole match, but in the same time I didn't do also anything special, I thought. I was happy to come back and win that first set, but then obviously on and off, on and off, on and off all the time.
It is what it is. It's in the game. Yeah, it's just, I think, in a way it was like a poor match for me. I didn't adjust to the conditions fast enough. It was very windy. My first serve didn't work. I was sliding a little bit early on.
So, yeah, I think that's about it. I mean, there's not much I can say. At least I'm happy I had a few matches under my belt. Of course not satisfied, but in a way it's a step forward.

Q. It's been a while since you won back‑to‑back matches. When you did that, in your mind did you feel like...
GRIGOR DIMITROV: Of course I'm feeling I'm doing better, that's for sure. I also got a little bit tired. You know, I haven't played that many matches and he came off a very good win. I think that the tournament before he won the tournament.
I knew who I was facing. I think if it was early in the tournament maybe it would have been better for me, but right now he has obviously again a lot of confidence. That helps him. That helps him a lot to go for his shots and just to follow his game a little bit more.
You know, he wins today, for sure.

Q. At some point today play was suspended on all courts except yours and Petra's. Were you playing under the rain?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: I don't know. I really don't know. Like when you're on the court you don't think about that. That's what I said the conditions were very different.
The other day I played on Court 1 and all of a sudden on 18 like the whole dimension of the court was very different. It just took some time for me to really get into it. And yesterday we waited the whole day to just play seven games. Coming home late. You just have to do everything all over again.
You know, it's in the game. It's the same for both of us. He was the stronger person today.

Q. Would you tell us about your coach and your team.
GRIGOR DIMITROV: What do you need to know about it?

Q. I don't think it's been addressed yet, but we haven't seen Franco around.
GRIGOR DIMITROV: Yeah, no, I'm alone in this tournament. I'm not trying to hide it, obviously. Things just haven't worked out good for us. It is what it is. This is the situation.
I mean, I know how to play tennis in the same time. I just have to do a little bit extra work on my own with the racquets, with the stringing, the balls, the courts, the practice.
Other than that, you know, I'm pretty comfortable right now and happy.

Q. Is that a permanent decision or are you looking to change that in the near future?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: Obviously if they're not around, it's for me to obviously find something else, something new, something that would get me back on the right track. I mean, I want to improve. That's my main goal. I mean, I want to improve and I want to win matches. If you do all that right, I mean, everything's coming together.

Q. When did you split with Franco? Was it right before this tournament?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: Right before the tournament, yeah. The week before the tournament.

Q. What's the most important thing for you now and your next coach, do you think?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: I haven't thought about it, to be honest. I'm just trying to ‑‑that was the first time for me just taking obviously such a decision and especially before a tournament like that. You know, I'm just trying to stay positive and not think about it.
Obviously now I'm going to have a bit of time to think about all that, but the decision is taken. As I said, I'm confident behind that. So let's see. I mean, this is just a process now.

Q. You are a very experienced player. When you have a tough year or like tough time, in terms of maximizing your resources, would you look to psychologist or what do you do? Like what do you do? Like is there any specific behavior...
GRIGOR DIMITROV: I think not necessarily. I think it's just sometimes your game is just not there. No one sees like the way that any other players putting behind. Like they practice like crazy for four, five hours. Next thing you know they come out and cannot hit the ball in the court. On the other hand, you have guys that are practicing two, three times a week or whatever, and then all of a sudden they come out and get deep in the tournament.
So you can never, you know, calculate that of course. But I think a little effort every day counts a lot and goes a long way. I'm the type of guy that just likes ‑‑I like working, I like working out. The other day when my match got canceled, I was down in the gym running and squatting, and I was the only guy there. Quite frankly, it felt really good. It's different for every player.

Q. You were one of the last ones to use a smaller racquet head, you and Roger back a few years ago. Could you go through that process of changing the racquet? How did you adapt? The testing?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: The racquet, it's something that, I mean, obviously you play with. This is something that I have in my hand and I always want to maximize the performance. So depends what you're looking in a racquet.
Like I said, every player is very different. Roger, Novak, Andy, whatever. Everyone uses a different pattern, different racquets, different strings, different grips. So like it's just details. It's so personal for each player.
My goal is to just, you know, just get the most out of my racquet. If that means, you know, change or get even better and better and better, yeah, of course I'm ‑‑I like that process, and, yeah.

Q. You used to have the racquet that Roger ‑‑ the 90, right?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: I never play with Roger's racquet.

Q. The size. You were playing with the 95?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: No, I always had a bit smaller than him.

Q. With the 95? You still keeping the 95 head size?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: Uh‑huh. Yeah.

Q. Have you thought about the Olympics? Have you planned anything? Are you preparing? Any chance you play doubles with Tsveti?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: I haven't thought about it at all. Yeah, it would be nice. I don't know if we're going to get in obviously. It's exciting time. Olympics is always exciting. I remember here, yeah, four years ago it was a great atmosphere.
So it's just a long way to go. Right now I'm definitely focused on all the other tournaments and what my next step is going to be to prepare for those tournaments ahead. I mean, I'm going to be playing pretty much everything in America, so I just need to be ready and fit throughout the whole time. So my focus is on that right now.

Q. Do you remember when was the last time you played a slam without a coach with you?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: Never ‑‑that's what I'm saying. I never did that. Yeah, I never did that. I mean, if you think slam, just in a way it's another tournament. Of course it's very big and it gets you excited and all that.
It's different. I'm not gonna lie. Of course it's different. You know, you have to go through all the logistics, as I said, the balls, to fix the practice, get the car in the morning. It takes a bit of energy. Of course it takes a bit of ‑‑ you know, I think also emotionally when you just try to do everything right and when you go to bed, you're like, Whoa, did I do everything right? Did I leave the racquets and the strings and all that?
But I'm pleased with it. For some reason I feel very positive, first with the decision that I took, and then to be able to control everything on my own after that, it shows me a lot. I don't do it for anyone else but me.
I think that's just very important for me right now, to show to myself to show that what I do is not for anyone else. It's just for me.

Q. If you're to catch the golden fish, the one that gives you the three wishes, what would your three wishes be?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: Win Wimbledon, that's for sure. Win Wimbledon. Become No. 1 (smiling). I don't know. I'll let the third one just, you know, years down the line. I think that would be it.

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