Grigor Dimitrov pouvait comptait sur un soutien de taille dimanche à l'US Open. Opposé à Andrey Rublev en huitièmes de finale du Grand Chelem américain, le Bulgare, vainqueur en cinq manches, était finement observé par son amie Serena Williams, en tribunes du Arthur Ashe. Dimitrov n'a pas déçu en remportant une superbe victoire face au Russe, 6-3, 7-6[3], 1-6, 3-6, 6-3. Le joueur de 33 ans se maintient au top malgré l'évolution du tennis. "Le tennis a beaucoup changé. Auparavant, il se jouait un peu plus lentement, avec une plus grande diversité de styles. Aujourd'hui, ce qui me paraît le plus évident, c'est que tous les joueurs sont plus grands et plus forts", a expliqué Dimitrov, pourtant toujours parmi les meilleurs. Il affrontera Frances Tiafoe en quarts.
Vidéo : @USOpen
Vidéo : @USOpen
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00:00Yeah, a tricky match. That's the least I can say. You live through everything. I mean,
00:14I lived through everything this match. I think it was a very challenging match for me on
00:20so many different levels. When I look from my physicality to the way that I felt after
00:28the first couple of sets, anything could have happened. I think the steal of that second
00:35set really helped me to keep on believing, to keep on trusting in my game and in my body.
00:43I think after the first couple of sets he started playing amazing. There's not much
00:48else I could have done, I felt, so I had to pull the reins back a little bit and wait
00:53for an opportunity. I knew eventually I might get one throughout the fourth and the fifth.
01:01It happened in the fifth, so I think that was the big difference today. After that I
01:06ran with the match, but it was very challenging. We both knew what was going to happen in a
01:14way on a few big points. In a way, it could have also gone either way, but I was just
01:21very happy how I stuck with my game and really also stepped up my game where I really needed
01:27the most.
01:28Thank you. Name and affiliation, one question each.
01:30Congratulations, it's Charlie Eccleshire from The Athletic. You've spoken about the importance
01:38of preparation and recovery and all of that. I just wondered how much confidence that gives
01:42you going into these matches, knowing you've done all of that so well, and also just how
01:47tough it is playing a good friend like Conte?
01:51I think I'll start with the good friend part. I think it's never easy. Whoever that I'm
01:57kind of close to on tour, it always adds up to the occasion. Of course, we're professionals
02:03and we know what's at stake, but today was, I think, a match where I knew I could count
02:14on a lot of things in my game. In a way, I knew what I had to do a little bit better
02:19than last time I played him. The past, I'd say, four weeks have been also a bit challenging
02:26for me physically because I wasn't really able to do certain things that I usually do
02:32before a slam. I put a question mark on myself. But leading up to the Open, I was kind of
02:45increasing the load of my body, the way I was practising, the hours I was putting in.
02:51I really had to pace myself in a very different way than I've ever paced myself. That's why
02:57I'm saying here's the experience of things for me that I think really pushed me over
03:03the line. Of course, I'm building my game even more. I still believe I can step up a
03:12notch and play a better game.
03:15You cracked the top 10 this year. You made the quarters in Paris and you're making the
03:23quarters here at the US Open. What's the secret behind this resurgence this year, particularly
03:28while you're in your 30s?
03:30There's no secret. I mean, there's no secret, there's no shortcuts either, let me tell you
03:36that much, even if I've tried. But no, I don't know. I think consistency over the course
03:42of one's career. The one thing is that I never quit. I never stopped working. I never
03:51stopped believing. Of course, I had my doubtful moments on so many levels. But I think once
03:57you win those little battles with yourself, it kind of propels you to do something better,
04:04to be aware of the opportunities that come around. That's why I always say you always
04:08got to be ready for whatever comes on your way. In a way, it's not just tennis. I think
04:15it's everything. I never shied away of that, of the work that I had to put in. I always
04:20wanted to improve. Then I never looked also on age, anyway. I keep on playing. I'm here
04:33and the body is holding up. The game, I think, is improving. I still feel like there's quite
04:39a bit more to squeeze out of myself in order to maybe not only play better, but win bigger
04:45events and keep the dream alive.
04:48Reem.
04:49Hi, Gregor. Reem from The National, congrats. Gregor, in the last couple of years, any conversations
04:55we've had with you, you say a lot that enjoying tennis more, enjoying the whole experience
05:00and you're very appreciative. It's easier said than done for so many people. I'm wondering
05:05for you, is there anything that's helped you shift your perspective to go from maybe seeing
05:12the pressures and things to being able to enjoy it more?
05:15Yeah, life experience. Yeah, life experience. I don't know. I think it's also not easy.
05:27I still have my bad days, but now I kind of let them in. I don't force things as I used
05:37to force before. Maybe that's, I think, one of the part of growing up, I think, on so
05:45many different levels, not just for the sport, but I think for yourself. There were some
05:50very difficult decisions I had to make for myself because I wanted to not only to be
05:55better on the court, but also off the court. So I started, I mean, I've always been very
06:00accountable of my own actions, but then I had to find a different way to handle certain
06:08things. Let me just put it that way. I mean, there's no point for me to elaborate more
06:12on that, but it's just you live and learn. I think that's also the maturity that I have
06:21had on and off the court that really, I think, helped me. I also have a great team, great
06:29family, great close people, and they don't shy away to tell me the truth. So I think
06:35that helps as well. I mean, I just want to live my dream. That's all I'm doing right
06:42now. I think tennis, overall, it's just a moment. We have a window. I mean, I'm 15 years
06:49on tour and it feels like it just went very quick, and it still goes. It goes quicker
06:53and quicker every single year because, let's face it, I'm more closer to the end than the
06:58beginning. So that makes you appreciate even more the times that you get to do that and
07:03winning those matches at that point now, and all the mental battles that you need to win
07:08first within yourself, and then things are easier outside.
07:16We don't know for sure, of course, who you're playing next, but if you could take each one
07:20individually, maybe starting with Francis, somebody you've played a few times, but mostly
07:25long ago, how would you describe what Francis is like right now and what your expectations
07:31are for that match?
07:36For me, it's another match. I mean, clearly he's been playing a great tennis here, built
07:41off, I think, a great confidence the past, I think, three weeks, playing well in Cincinnati,
07:48winning some great matches out here. So, of course, I mean, either one of them is very
07:52dangerous players. That's just how it is. I actually lost to Popper three weeks ago,
07:58had a couple of match points. He comes off from winning Montreal, beating Novak here.
08:06So there's just, I think, both players are on a very high level right now, just however
08:11I look at it. But so am I. I'm just going to focus on my side of the net and look to
08:22increase my game. I feel like I also can play better. So, on that sense, I mean, it's another
08:34tough match ahead.
08:36We have time for one more, Bill.
08:40Congratulations. Obviously, we have such an incredible sport, incredible game, and a few
08:47people have the blessing, the opportunity of having a 15-year career. Could you take
08:53a minute and just what would you say the two or three things in tennis that have changed
09:00over your career?
09:01In tennis?
09:02In the sport of tennis, yes.
09:04The players?
09:05For a start.
09:08That's a good question. Never thought about that. I think tennis overall has changed.
09:17I think I'll start probably with this because, I mean, the game that used to be played back
09:22then, it was just different. Maybe like, let's say, a little bit more slower times. The players
09:31were... You had a different diversity of players overall. Yeah, I mean, I would say
09:42that's, for me personally, that's going to be the biggest difference. I mean, I think
09:49when you're in it, when you're still in it, it's very difficult to be objective, to kind
09:53of see what... Have an overview on that. The only thing I can be extremely judgmental
10:01with is the players. I mean, I've seen quite a few generations of players. Everything is
10:08such a fast pace nowadays and everyone is doing their thing, bigger, stronger. So yeah,
10:19I mean, overall tennis has changed. I cannot pinpoint the other two. Maybe ask me this
10:25question in five, six years, maybe I'll be able to answer it better.