For all the Dimitrov hype, he’s statistically no better than Henman

[40-15 still haunts me]

This isn’t a bash Dimitrov thread, he’s a good guy and has a beautiful game when it’s flowing but I haven’t heard much from him recently and it feels like he’s just dropped off the tour. With a nickname like “baby Fed“ however we all expected great things however I think his career has just been mediocre at best considering his great talent.
Career wise however, Dimitrov actually has had a worse career than Henman. Now non Tennis fans always said Tim was garbage, but Henman was actually ridiculously good and I feel he’s underrated so comparing the 2 isn’t a dig at Dimitrov. Even Federer said in a 2006 Wimbledon interview ( think it was 2006) that Henman being unseeded at the championships was dangerous and that he’s one of the best serve and volleyers and a nightmare to play, and this is coming from Prime Federer.
Looking at their careers, Henman has an edge on most things.
Gs Semi finals reached
Henman 6 - FO 1, WMB -4 , US 1
Dimitrov 3 - AO 1, WMB -1 , US 1

Career titles
Henman 11Titles - 17 runner ups
Dimitrov 8 titles -7 runner ups ( I believe this is correct may be wrong) Dimitrov beats Henman on the WTF title as Henman only reached SF at WTF in his career )

Highest World ranking
Dimitrov -3
Henman -4

Career earnings
Dimitrov -20 million dollars
Henman - 12 million ( adjust for inflation and more tournaments and I’d say they were pretty much even, especially considering a SF at a major pays way more now than it did in the 90s and early 2000s when Henman was playing

Career Highlight
Dimitrov WTF victory 2017
Henman - Probably never losing on indoor courts against Federer (5-0) and I believe Henman is the only player in modern history that has defeated Federer on an indoor carpet court, indoor hard and a grass court. Beating Federer at Wimbledon is also another highlight, something Dimitrov has never done although Henman always jokes in commentary that he got all his records against Federer “when he was 11 years old”

Outside career achievements
Dimitrov - Still active
Henman - Member of the all England club, on the Tennis board, commentator and has his own hill named after him at the GOAT slam

anything else I’ve missed ?

 

[Deleted member 748597]

His backhand shall always be beautiful.

 

[junior74]

Henman is underrated, Dimitrov is overrated.

You can't just adjust for inflation, because tournaments have increased their prize money by a lot more. Here's an example from Aus Open:

2019	$62,500,000	13.64%
2018	$55,000,000	10.00%
2017	$50,000,000	13.64%
2016	$44,000,000	10.00%
2015	$40,000,000	21.21%
2014	$33,000,000	10.00%
2013	$30,000,000	15.38%
2012	$26,000,000	3.98%
2011	$25,005,635	3.78%
2010	$24,094,000	4.12%
2009	$23,140,000	12.33%

 

[ollinger]

There's "Dimitrov hype"??

 

[40-15 still haunts me]

There's "Dimitrov hype"??

when he first came on the scene I remember people saying he would win 10 slams purely on the basis he played similar strokes to Roger

 

[mike danny]

He's worse than Henman actually.

 

[junior74]

There's "Dimitrov hype"??

 

[ollinger]

when he first came on the scene I remember people saying he would win 10 slams purely on the basis he played similar strokes to Roger

Yes, when he first came on the scene. That was some time ago.

 

[D.Nalby12]

Henman was better player clearly. Dimitrov was overrated thanks to similarities of his game with Fed.

 

[Phoenix1983]

He's worse than Henman actually.

He's a worse player, but he does have a bigger title (the WTF).

They're roughly comparable.

 

[MeatTornado]

when he first came on the scene I remember people saying he would win 10 slams purely on the basis he played similar strokes to Roger

And that ship sailed like 6 years ago already. Everyone knows how his career turned out. There's no need to reference past hype like we're not aware. Your thread sounds like you just stumbled upon this.

 

[TheNachoMan]

Come on, Tim.

 

[mattennis]

Henman was no slouch, he was a very good player, a better player than Dimitrov in my book.

 

[robthai]

He represents the lost gen in a nutshell

 

[cortado]

I remember turning on the tv to this match, not knowing who either of these two were, and thinking 'damn these guys are good'.

 

[BGod]

Voted: He’s done good, but could have done so much better!

His WTF and Masters titles came in gift draws so it's not like he proved anything with those runs. The reason I think he could have done so much better is the losses at Slams:

2017 AO SF loss to Nadal in 5
2014 WMB SF loss to Novak in 4 (two TBs)
2019 AO R16 loss to Tiafoe (one TB, two 5-7)
2018 AO QF loss to Edmund in 4
2015 AO R16 loss to Murray in 4 (one TB)
Injured against Karatsev at 2021 AO QF
2017 WMB R16 draws Fed (could have made SF)


And out of all of those, 2019 AO possible QF against Nadal would have been something to see. A 2017 AO final against Fed likely goes routine so not much mystery there. Should really have won 2016 Cincy and had he gotten past Novak at 2019 Paris (possible) he wins that too.

Overall I think he was certainly overhyped but it was his mental edge that was missing not so much talent and he needed momentum. That's what a lot of tennis history goes into to. Does Wawrinka win 3 Slams if he doesn't finally beat Novak? And if Nadal beat him down in that Aussie Final does he bounce back and ultimately win a Slam at all?

After that 2017 AO SF I felt for Dimitrov he was definitely capable of that 1 golden run like a rich man's Thomas Johansson. But also vulturing some more Masters.

 

[StringGuruMRT]

Henman is underrated, Dimitrov is overrated.

You can't just adjust for inflation, because tournaments have increased their prize money by a lot more. Here's an example from Aus Open:

2019	$62,500,000	13.64%
2018	$55,000,000	10.00%
2017	$50,000,000	13.64%
2016	$44,000,000	10.00%
2015	$40,000,000	21.21%
2014	$33,000,000	10.00%
2013	$30,000,000	15.38%
2012	$26,000,000	3.98%
2011	$25,005,635	3.78%
2010	$24,094,000	4.12%
2009	$23,140,000	12.33%

100%! Henman would have had at least 2 Wimbledon titles had he not been in the Sampras GOAT era. Henman's career is far greater than Dimitrov

 

[MurraysMetalHip]

Dimitrov is the textbook definition of style over substance. A very average player who got lucky by winning the WTF.

Sir Tim far superior.

 

[ChaelAZ]

Dimi has had it tough really. Not just coming up under some of the toppiest top players, but he was vultured by Sharapova who stole his mojo and tennis essence like the black window she is, but also the stupid baby Fed moniker he was stuck with that really never credited him as his own player without Fed expectations. He has handled that well, and career high of 3 in the world, consistent top player in money, $20 million in career earnings, 8 titles and solid endorsements...I think this multi-GS winner or crap dicotomy is a fan construct, where tennis players with that kind of success while traveling the world are very fulfilled.

 

[Kralingen]

for my money Dimitrov is a product of the hype machine and befell the same issues his ex Maria Sharapova went through. Because he was good looking, 1HBH, and stylish on the court he got the “Baby Fed” and the marketing centered around him for a while. Being a junior champion and having Serena’s coach also didn’t help too much as he came with expectations there. People really wanted a challenger to the big 3 more than they wanted Dimitrov to be that, but he was in many ways the poster boy for what the Lost Gen was and is.

For my money Dimitrov had one exceptional asset - his movement and flexibility. He had a high skill level leading to highlight plays on volleys, slices, and an aesthetically pleasing way of moving, but did he ever really hurt you? Was his forehand ever more than a little above average? His weaponry seemed to be based on a defensive intuition, not an offensive one the way Federer’s game seemed to magically build to. He had all the shots but never was able to pull the trigger on the right ones in the big moments, and his BH, for all its superlatives, let him down in GS matches vs the Big3.
His all court surface moniker and “skill level” really sound to me like a guy not comfortable in being exceptional at anything, and the results agree. His biggest career win was 14 Wimbledon vs. Murray when it seemed he could unlock his potential, but he was never really any match for Djokovic or Nadal, let alone his idol, the real mr. Federer.

Oh also I maintain his 2017 WTF was vultured. He beat: young Dominic Thiem - David Goffin - (#30 in the world) Carreño Busta - Jack Sock - Goffin in the finals.

 

[TearTheRoofOff]

And that ship sailed like 6 years ago already. Everyone knows how his career turned out. There's no need to reference past hype like we're not aware. Your thread sounds like you just stumbled upon this.

It's funny how we could just determine it so early, with a reasonably high level of accuracy. No real improvements in what feels like forever. He's unfortunately served as a bit of a template for predicting very early plateaus and stagnancy in performance.

 

[TennisIcon]

I feel like Dimitrov was done a disservice by being saddled with the moniker of ”Baby Fed” at such a young age. Media hype can single handedly kill a players momentum and I feel like that‘s what happened to Dimitrov. Constantly being compared to the greatest player of all time every time you step on the court means you have an insane amount of pressure and yeah some people can handle that but I’m not surprised that Dimitrov couldn’t. I think that‘s why the media has laid off doing direct comparisons like that again. Yeah people still do comapre some young players to the big 3 buts its not as oppressive as what they did with Dimitrov.

 

[Deleted member 771911]

It was unfair to Dimi, the baby fed hype. Really, even just being like Henman is pretty good. Most guys would love to have had Henman or Dimi's career. I'd say he's a little bit above Henman, though. Not by much, however.

 

[Keizer]

Henman was one of the top 5 favorites to win Wimbledon for several years in a row. He would’ve reached the final in 2001 if that rain delay had not saved Ivanisevic in the SF (Henman bageled Goran in a near golden set before the rain delay). Even beyond the top 4 guys, I never felt that way about Dimitrov at any slam. I was quite surprised when he won WTF to be honest.

 

[MeatTornado]

I think that‘s why the media has laid off doing direct comparisons like that again.

If the opportunity comes across it'll happen again. Dimitrov was a rare case where his visual similarities to Federer were uncanny.

If a lefty with a straight-arm, buggy-whip forehand comes along, he'll be called Baby Nadal just as quickly. There's just no one out there that plays visually similar to Nadal (or Djokovic) like there is with Federer.

 

[timnz]

He's a worse player, but he does have a bigger title (the WTF).

They're roughly comparable.

The WTF is a big item though. Second only to the slams

 

[GhostOfNKDM]

If the opportunity comes across it'll happen again. Dimitrov was a rare case where his visual similarities to Federer were uncanny.

If a lefty with a straight-arm, buggy-whip forehand comes along, he'll be called Baby Nadal just as quickly. There's just no one out there that plays visually similar to Nadal (or Djokovic) like there is with Federer.

Leftiness aside, to me Ruud plays visually like Rafa and Chung like Novak.

Just as much as Dimi plays like Roger.

 

[big ted]

well in his defense wasnt gasquet supposed to be fed's successor too?

 

[40-15 still haunts me]

well in his defense wasnt gasquet supposed to be fed's successor too?

I’m not sure if Gasquet was going to be Feds replacement, more like French media having him on the covers of papers and magazines citing his genius and Tennis abilities and then him running into a GOAT like Federer that just dismantles every part of his game convincingly

 

[tudwell]

Dimitrov's gotta be one of the smartest tennis players of all time. Perfectly timed his peak form to coincide with a season when half the top ten skipped half the year. Genius.

 

[Cashman]

Henman was a great tennis player, no shame in being compared to him

 

[Kralingen]

Dimitrov's gotta be one of the smartest tennis players of all time. Perfectly timed his peak form to coincide with a season when half the top ten skipped half the year. Genius.

Similar 5D chess by Djokovic’s parents by seeing the tennis progress of 6 year old Roger and 2 month old Nadal and realizing having a son in 1987 would give him the optimal timing to coincide with the weak era 30 years later

 

[Musterrific]

Voted: He’s done good, but could have done so much better!

His WTF and Masters titles came in gift draws so it's not like he proved anything with those runs. The reason I think he could have done so much better is the losses at Slams:

2017 AO SF loss to Nadal in 5
2014 WMB SF loss to Novak in 4 (two TBs)
2019 AO R16 loss to Tiafoe (one TB, two 5-7)
2018 AO QF loss to Edmund in 4
2015 AO R16 loss to Murray in 4 (one TB)
Injured against Karatsev at 2021 AO QF
2017 WMB R16 draws Fed (could have made SF)


And out of all of those, 2019 AO possible QF against Nadal would have been something to see. A 2017 AO final against Fed likely goes routine so not much mystery there. Should really have won 2016 Cincy and had he gotten past Novak at 2019 Paris (possible) he wins that too.

Overall I think he was certainly overhyped but it was his mental edge that was missing not so much talent and he needed momentum. That's what a lot of tennis history goes into to. Does Wawrinka win 3 Slams if he doesn't finally beat Novak? And if Nadal beat him down in that Aussie Final does he bounce back and ultimately win a Slam at all?

After that 2017 AO SF I felt for Dimitrov he was definitely capable of that 1 golden run like a rich man's Thomas Johansson. But also vulturing some more Masters.

Those GS losses to Tiafoe and Edmund were inexcusable - the perfect example of faltering when one is poised to take advantage of a favourable draw.

The others are acceptable given who he played.

 

[Sampras-Bruguera 1993]

Dimi is another Safin/Nalbandian. Should have had at least a half dozen slams to the resume (considering the age and mileage of the big 3) but was too consumed with the broads and not his profession. Dimi/Safin liked the chicks and Nalbandian liked the doughnuts. One of the main reasons why the Big 3 have 125 slams between them.

Thiem has headed down that underachieving road already. Tstispas is still young so the jury is out there ( I dont like what I'm seeing though) Makes you wonder why no one was there forcing these idiots to get their heads in the game. They needed bootcamp or electric shock therapy or something.

Henman maximized his abilities. Dimitrov maximized other things. LOL.

 

[mental midget]

yeah henman doesn't get talked about much but he was really good. career outpaces dimitrov so far, although the tour final does give him some solid cred for sure.

always felt like dimitrov's serve motion looks inefficient (although he can bring some heat and has had his moments.) weird toss, almost too much racket drop almost, just doesn't feel like a 'one piece' motion.

i think he's an imaginative player with a lot of options and that can be hard to string together sometimes, so he's streaky, to put it mildly. i could see him going deep a few more times though in big tournaments, his best level is pretty high.

 

[asifallasleep]

Tenacity has won far less talented blokes much better careers. Dimitrov has zero tenacity. Such a nice guy, super talented, so good-looking tho, bahahahahahahahahahahah.

Concrete evidence that racquetholicism does not do a career good. With his trusty 93, by far his best career season, #3 ranking and 4 titles:

Took Nadal to 5 sets at the AO

Wins a career best 4 titles
Nitto ATP Finals (Indoor/Hard)
ATP Masters 1000 Cincinnati (Outdoor/Hard)
Sofia (Indoor/Hard)
Brisbane (Outdoor/Hard)

Proceeds to change racquets again and again, never to revisit that year's success!!!

 

[Bender]

He did about as well as I expected him to all things considered

 

[smalahove]

Dimitrov is the crown example you even if you are able to execute every shot in the book at an impressive skill level, even beyond most ATP players, that doesn't translate into winning matches. His game is a negative synergy.