Grigor Dimitrov paid tribute to Novak Djokovic following their Miami Masters match and the Serb didn’t hide his happiness after hearing about the comment made by the world No. 15.
On Friday, the Bulgarian tennis star didn’t stand much of a chance in the Miami semifinal and he ended up losing 2-6 3-6. Speaking to the press after the match, the three-time Grand Slam semifinalist said that the record 24-time Grand Slam champion “wears confidence like a stain on your shirt.”
Djokovic, who has been dominant against Dimitrov throughout his career since he has won 13 of their 14 meetings, appreciated very much hearing a rival issue such a statement about him. Also, he returned the favor to the 2017 ATP Finals winner by praising him as a player and person.
Djokovic: Very grateful to hear something like that from Dimitrov
“Very grateful to hear something coming from someone that I really respect as a player, but even more than a player, as a person, someone that I consider a friend, a guy that I really love spending time with off the court, as well,” the Serbian tennis player said of his Bulgarian colleague.
“Bulgaria and Serbia are neighboring countries. We share a lot of I guess tradition and culture, and a lot of things in common. Language is quite similar. Yeah, he’s been around the tour for many years. It’s a great compliment to receive that from him.”
In May, Djokovic will turn 38 while Dimitrov will celebrate his 34th birthday. As mentioned above, they have met 14 times on the main level so far in their careers. The Serb hopes they will get a chance to clash against each other on the court at least a couple of more times.
“Hopefully we can have a few more battles before we retire. We’ve been playing for quite a long time,” Djokovic added.
Meanwhile, No. 5 seed Djokovic plays against Jakub Mensik in the Miami final.
Tennis World USA