by Andy Schooler, at The O2
Grigor Dimitrov says his slide down the rankings gave him the kick up the backside he needed to revitalise his career.
The man dubbed Baby Fed when he graduated onto the tour due his style’s resemblance to that of Roger Federer has long struggled to live up to such high expectations.
But he finally made his major breakthrough when he captured the ATP Finals title on Sunday, beating David Goffin in a tight three-set final.
The Bulgarian says his struggles resulted him finally realising what he needed to do to succeed at the very top.
Asked if he could ever have envisaged himself as the champion in London when in the midst of his 2016 slump, Dimitrov said: "Definitely not. There I was thinking ‘how can I put it together, put three balls in the court?’
"But with the right set of mind, with the right people, with the right support, things happen.
"For me, that period really helped me a lot. I think I needed that. And I appreciate those six, seven months that were a complete struggle for me. I appreciate them in a way that only yourself if you've been through that you would understand.
"In that particular moment, I really realised what I really need to work on, who are the real people around me, who really counts on me, who matters to me
"There's so many lessons that I took out of that period that everything else, what I did, every little step that I took every day, you know, towards the good, it felt like a great day.
"Little by little, yeah, drop by drop, here I am."
Dimitrov, who previously dated women's tennis star Maria Sharapova and is currently with Nicole Scherzinger, added: "(Now) I'm fully dedicated. This year I think I've done a lot of work on that. I sacrificed days that I should have probably had off, maybe go to a little vacation here and there. Now it pays off."
Appointing Andy Murray’s former coach Dani Vallverdu towards the end of 2016 was a vital component of having “who really counts” on his side, according to the 26-year-old.
"He was one of the biggest assets, I would say, in my team, especially when he joined last year.
"I think we have a great understanding of the game. He can easily be the hardest-working coach out there. He knows the game inside-out.
"A lot of that success goes to him, absolutely."
Having ended the year by winning the biggest title of his career, Dimitrov will now target Grand Slam success in 2018.
"(I’m) going to sit down with the team and reassess the whole year, see what we've done good, what we can improve,” he revealed.
"Of course, one of my main goals is to win a Grand Slam tournament. This has always been a dream of mine.
"Slowly I think this thing is getting there. I think I've had good results in the past, but now, as I said, I need to be even more consistent on those kind of events, and in the same time raise up my level on occasions like this.
"Obviously, this is a great, unbelievable achievement for me, yes, but I still have a lot to give. I want to perform better and better."
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