“An invisible force had changed the game,” Grigor Dimitrov reveals it took him many months to recover from 2017 Australian Open semifinal loss to Rafael Nadal

The match against Nadal was also the Bulgarian's only second Grand Slam semifinal.

“An invisible force had changed the game,” Grigor Dimitrov reveals it took him many months to recover from 2017 Australian Open semifinal loss to Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal, Grigor Dimitrov (Images via Imago)

Grigor Dimitrov very well remembered the heartbreaking defeat to Rafael Nadal in the 2017 Australian Open semifinal. He recalled during an interview how he felt afterward his loss in five sets 6-3, 5-7, 7-6, 6-7, 6-4 to the Spaniard.

Dimitrov gave his best performance in the Australian Open that year because he failed to advance to the semifinals of the tournament after that season. He reflected on this match and revealed how it took him many months to recover. 

YouTube video
It took me seven or eight months to recover from the match against Rafa. I had the impression that an invisible force had changed the game. I was up 4–2 in the fifth set, and I was playing amazingly. There was no way I was going to lose the match and I still lost it. 
Grigor Dimitrov told The New York Times

The match against Nadal was also the Bulgarian’s only second Grand Slam semifinal as he made it to the last four at the 2014 Wimbledon Championships. Dimitrov believes that if a person deals with a loss, then deciding to talk with a professional, or friends and family helps in recovery. 

FS Video
In these kinds of moments, we try to draw on our own experiences and ask ourselves questions. I've always believed that you need to talk to someone, whether it's professionals, family, or friends. I think it's a vital thing to do, and it has to come from within. Talking is useless if you don't take the first step.
Grigor Dimitrov added

Dimitrov last played at the Queen’s Club Championships, losing in the Round of 16 to America’s Sebastian Korda in three sets. Nadal, on the other hand, has not yet participated in any tournaments following his first-round defeat to Alexander Zverev in the French Open.

Rafael Nadal versus Grigor Dimitrov head-to-head record

Grigor Dimitrov has met Rafael Nadal 15 times on the ATP Tour but defeated the Spaniard just once. That lone win came at the 2016 Beijing Open quarterfinal, which the Bulgarian won in straight sets.

Rafael Nadal, Grigor Dimitrov
Rafael Nadal, Grigor Dimitrov (Image via Imago)

Their first encounter was at the 2009 Rotterdam Open, which Nadal won in three sets. The last meeting was in the 2021 Monte Carlo Masters. They have met twice in Grand Slam events- the 2014 and the 2017 Australian Open.

Both the players have started preparing for the Wimbledon Championships which starts on July 1. Nadal won two Wimbledon titles while Dimitrov reached the semifinals in 2014.

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