Dimitrov: "Talent Doesn't Win Matches"

[donquijote]

? Both Nadal and Djokovic also have talent, otherwise they wouldn't stand with double digits at Majors, and they wouldn't produce amazing shots. And McEnroe and Federer also have talent of course.

Dimitrov is wrong in confusing two words: suficient and necessary.

Talent is a necessary but not sufficient condition to win Grand Slams. You also need to take things seriously, at least to some degree.

Kyrgios, Monfils and the likes have talent but lack a serious mentality. Dimitrov has an untalented backhand, so he lacks talent to win Grand Slams (Dimitrov makes like 500 unforced errors per match with the backhand).

He has talent in other areas.

 

[David Le]

A backhand video would be easier to make. The changes he made over the years to his have basically made it progressively worse. Ditto for his serve.

His serve at 2014 Wimbledon was sublime imo.

 

[David Le]

agree with everything except I think he volleys pretty well. The summary is though that most parts of his game are suspect and temperamental. Used to think he had a great serve, now not so much. Ball toss can get away from him. Both FH and BH can desert him. Movement can be flashy but again can let him down.

Thinks he's actually done quite well considering all of that!

Same, his net game is actually decent or even better than most on tour. He actually comes to the net when he attacks and finishes points. Others would baseline grind until someone messes up or somehow hit a winner.

 

[zep]

He's right. Nick Kyrgios and others are you listening?

https://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/dimitrov-toronto-preview-2018-sunday

Who told you that Nick Kyrgios is talented? His only talent is the serve, rest of his game is strictly average. Without the serve he wouldn't be a top 50 player. The guy doesn't even have a decent volley. But he does have one of the best serves ever which makes up for his general lack of talent.

 

[Matterhorn]

He'll never be able to run away from it no matter how hard he tries.

 

[merwy]

Don't know why people say he tries to copy Federer.

Might just be his own natural game by a fluke chance.

Uhh no I think he himself said that his game is molded after Federer. I don’t remember it precisely but I believe it was in an interview that he said his father encouraged him to play like Federer.

 

[stingstang]

Dimitrov is right. Look at A.Murray, not much talent, but geez his work ethic and dedication has certainly paid off.

People confuse hitting stylish winners with talent.

Consisently returning DH backhands to a servers feet takes just as much raw talent (eye/hand coordination, muscle memory etc) as a dive volley or whatever. Murray/Djokovic are talented at stuff nobody notices.

Dimitrov doesn't win because he's a choke artist.

 

[bjk]

The big difference between Fed and Dimi is that Fed puts away many more points at net. Fed is at 25% and Dimitrov is at 19%. The biggest problem with Dimitrov's game is that he's basically a baseliner.
http://www.tennisabstract.com/charting/meta.html

 

[3lite]

The issue with Dimitrov is he overrates his own talents. Not that he doesn't work hard (I'm sure he does, to an extent) but not enough to overcome his deficiencies to which he is not aware of.

Talent is something that you are born with (i.e. height, depth perception, awareness, stamina, endurance, athleticism etc.) and things that cannot be taught. Funnily enough, the one who shuns all of this is one of the most talented players in the history of the tour (Nadal).

Federer, while talented yes, is better described as a genius when it comes to tennis. He sees the game differently to most and as a result, his entire approach to the game is different.

Novak Djokovic is probably the least talented player amongst the GOAT discussions which is why he's constantly having mental battles within himself.

 

[mike danny]

The issue with Dimitrov is he overrates his own talents. Not that he doesn't work hard (I'm sure he does, to an extent) but not enough to overcome his deficiencies to which he is not aware of.

Talent is something that you are born with (i.e. height, depth perception, awareness, stamina, endurance, athleticism etc.) and things that cannot be taught. Funnily enough, the one who shuns all of this is one of the most talented players in the history of the tour (Nadal).

Federer, while talented yes, is better described as a genius when it comes to tennis. He sees the game differently to most and as a result, his entire approach to the game is different.

Novak Djokovic is probably the least talented player amongst the GOAT discussions which is why he's constantly having mental battles within himself.

I don't believe the bolded for a second.

 

[BringBackWood]

Crazy to compare Mac's time at the top with the game now.

There's nobody you could definitively say in the top 100 or more that has limited conditioning and is getting by strictly on talent. Even Dimitrov is exceptionally conditioned.

Tomic, when he was there.

 

[Tennease]

Dimitrov will win USO. You heard it right here right now.

 

[BHud]

With his ability, Grigor just has too many options...which seems to confuse him during matches. He should leverage his favorite strengths and exploit the hell out of them. Roddick made it a long way with a serve and a forehand...

 

[G4P45]

Talent is not enough because there are thousands of people who are equally as talented as you.

 

[GoTribe]

True and therein lies the problem in every sport.

Talent gets these guys a long way - but at the top of every sport they are all similarly talented. At that point small things that Dmitrov refers to make the difference in wins and losses.

It becomes largely mental - once you are as physically fit as the rest - in tennis.

 

[beernutz]

Millennial lol, you do know that Rafa and Djokovic are millenials?

So is Fed according to the Pew Research Center.
http://mentalfloss.com/article/5336...-years-millennials-gen-x-and-post-millennials

 

[PMChambers]

Talent and low percentage tennis gets confused a lot. Very hard to define.

 

[3lite]

With his ability, Grigor just has too many options...which seems to confuse him during matches. He should leverage his favorite strengths and exploit the hell out of them. Roddick made it a long way with a serve and a forehand...

I don't fear the man with 10,000 different strikes.

I fear the man who has practiced one strike 10,000 times.

 

[Jaitock1991]

I think he wouldn't make Top 100 if he was just 'fanboy-mimicking' Fedr's strokes. Have you watched any of his 5-9 yrs old videos ? Curious case this chap is.

If he did and still made the top 10 one could actually argue that he's more talented than the man he's emulating.

 

[fundrazer]

He'll never be able to run away from it no matter how hard he tries.

This is actually funny. Weak era posters take note.

 

[Red Rick]

He means he has talent but still losing to players with no talent.

Watch both back to back (pun intended) points in the 1st video.

This is the problem.

Dimitrov is definitely incredibly talented at hitting trickshots and improvised shots. It's also why people think he is talented. But his talent for the basics of the game, serve/forehand/backhand/return, isn't really all that special. Even his forehand he can't really rely on to get him out of trouble.

 

[Russeljones]

This is the problem.

Dimitrov is definitely incredibly talented at hitting trickshots and improvised shots. It's also why people think he is talented. But his talent for the basics of the game, serve/forehand/backhand/return, isn't really all that special. Even his forehand he can't really rely on to get him out of trouble.

I know that he is a bit of a meme at this stage of his career, but your post is rubbish.

 

[Red Rick]

I know that he is a bit of a meme at this stage of his career, but your post is rubbish.

Sure.

 

[Enga]

Different era. Lendl's professionalism changed what McEnroe was getting away with. Other changes that harmed McEnroe were big servers like Curren and Becker, and big power forehands like Courier.

But to add onto it, McEnroe wasnt strictly talent. Yes he had a absurd talent to conditioning ratio, but he also had a lot of hunger, there was no questioning it at times, he often seemed like he wanted it more than the other guy, and that reflected in his playstyle to always attack and go for it. While guys like Lendl and Borg showed a lot of trust in their athletic ability, they would sometimes shrink when faced with raw determinism from a guy like McEnroe, who didnt have great conditioning, but a gameplan and will to carry it out. While guys were off the court training furiously, Mac would eat pretzels and save that fury for the court.

That doesnt even show in a guy like Dimitrov's game. Hes happy to be consistent, but not hungry enough to go on the attack, and force someone else out of their comfort zone.

 

[metsman]

Seriously, you can probably ask 10 posters to name the 5 most talented players in the top 100 and the only name you'll get 10 times is Federer, and after that I doubt you'll get any name more than 5 times.

Federer, Nadal, Djokovic should absolutely appear on everyone's list. I'd argue that Delpo should be nearly universal too and after that it might get a bit hazy considering Stan and Murray are out of the top 100.

 

[Deleted member 307496]

Murray certainly isn't as talented as the Big 3, but he's still more talented than most of the tour.

He really isn't. He is a counterpuncher that relies on movement.

 

[Thundergod]

He really isn't. He is a counterpuncher that relies on movement.

That's speaking pretty highly about the rest of the tour. All of a sudden the tour is littered with top-tier talent? At the very least, his RoS is a gift that only a handful of players have had.

 

[World Beater]

Grigor is much more similar to tommy haas in calibre than Federer.

Grigor is well rounded, but doesnt have point ending strokes.

Fed can end pts with his serve, forehand, backhand, slice etc

 

[Rafa4GOAT]

It's not his strokes that hold him back, it's his mentality. This whole "focusing on the positives" is a very millenial way of thinking. And yes, it has its pluses (pun intended), but at the end of the day nothing motivates like pain-inducing hunger. That is what all the young guys need, but none of them have it because they are all too comfortable, with Dimitrov being the most comfortable of them all.

Shapovalov certainly has that hunger, he’s just lacking experience.

 

[David Le]

Grigor is much more similar to tommy haas in calibre than Federer.

Grigor is well rounded, but doesnt have point ending strokes.

Fed can end pts with his serve, forehand, backhand, slice etc

I always thought Grigs as a Tommy Haas kind of player.

 

[Ace Legit Tennis]

I think he wouldn't make Top 100 if he was just 'fanboy-mimicking' Fedr's strokes. Have you watched any of his 5-9 yrs old videos ? Curious case this chap is.

Do you guys have any videos of him when he was a child?

 

[ElChivoEspañol]

It's not his strokes that hold him back, it's his mentality. This whole "focusing on the positives" is a very millenial way of thinking. And yes, it has its pluses (pun intended), but at the end of the day nothing motivates like pain-inducing hunger. That is what all the young guys need, but none of them have it because they are all too comfortable, with Dimitrov being the most comfortable of them all.

This snowflake gen create safe spaces even in their minds.

 

[King No1e]

I knew this years ago when Nalbandian lost to Roddick.

And when Safin lost to himself.

 

[d-quik]

whole "focusing on the positives" is a very millenial way of thinking

Sure complain a lot for people who are "focusing on the positives"

 

[Russeljones]

Do you guys have any videos of him when he was a child?

 

[Deleted member 771911]

Could not have come from a better and more reliable source. God I love Dimi!

 

[King No1e]

It's not his strokes that hold him back, it's his mentality. This whole "focusing on the positives" is a very millenial way of thinking. And yes, it has its pluses (pun intended), but at the end of the day nothing motivates like pain-inducing hunger. That is what all the young guys need, but none of them have it because they are all too comfortable, with Dimitrov being the most comfortable of them all.

Lol what? First of all, Fedalovic are millennials. Second of all, "focusing on the positives" is the most traditional baby-boomer attitude I can think of.
"Darn kids these days complaining about housing prices and student debt. At least you're not fighting over in 'Nam, so quit whining and pull yourself up by the bootstraps!"