Will Grigor Dimitrov re-enter the top ten in 2024?

[TheRed]

Every top pro tennis player's style/game can be exploited and that especially in the digital modern era where top tennis players have technology with frame by frame images what to do or not. Every pro athlete's success has limits; Roger Federer's one was curbed by Rafa's top spins to his one-handed backhand and Novak's resilient and meticulous baseline to baseline exchanges with the Swiss maestro. Me think the ,younger at that time, Spaniard and Serb became fully aware of technologies available to them.

You're making a different argument now. Of course every player's style/game can be exploited but that's not what you previously said. You said "his one-hander's gonna be exploited more than ever now that he's highlighted," as if he was an unknown entity - which is an odd statement in many ways. Dimitrov is no secret on the tour and he's been a top player for awhile so he's been on players' radars and plenty of coaches have figured out his weaknesses already. There's nothing to highlight because he's been highlighted. But even stranger is the idea that now that his backhand is better, guys are going to pick on it. like why?

 

[Sipho]

Grigor Dimitrov, his comeback at 32 and his one-hander have captivated me. I'd put him in the group of players such as Tsitsipas and Thiem but not Pete Samprass and Roger Federer as the great Bulgarian doesn't have the drive to the net or anticipation of the former which is probably why Stefanos and Dominic can't keep up with the top. One-handed backhanders in the very top, from what I know, cannot be flirting with the baseline rallies like the two-handed backhanders can.

This we do agree on. Very much so.

I think it's insane for one-handers to try and play from the baseline with two-handers. I think that's a losing proposition.

No, get thee to the net. Pronto. End the point.

As I go astray, this is why I was never all that enamored with Federer. I desperately wanted to like him, but I could just never get into him. And that's because he stayed at the baseline way too damn much for my liking.

Of course, that was his game, and he's one of the greatest (if not the greatest) player ever, but I just did not like him playing like that. And he when he would lose to Nadal, it would always be like, "Yeah, you're getting into baseline rallies with Nadal. Guess what, he's going to crush your backhand. So stop getting into baseline rallies with Nadal."

But alas, it was what it was.

No, if you hit a one-handed backhand, then you play like Pete Sampras. You serve and volley, and you occasionally stay back.

Of course, since they slowed down the courts I guess it's a little more difficult to do that. But I digress...

Also with Federer I wanted him to be the second coming of Pete Sampras from an athletic standpoint. But Sampras was a straight-up jock and Federer was more graceful. I like the "straight-up jock" style more. That's why I like Dimitrov more than Federer. Dimitrov is more of a "straight-up jock" like Sampras was.

But yep, I'll enjoy Dimitrov for the next couple of years until he fades away, and hopefully someone else will come along and play similarly.

 

[TennisBro]

You're making a different argument now. Of course every player's style/game can be exploited but that's not what you previously said. You said "his one-hander's gonna be exploited more than ever now that he's highlighted," as if he was an unknown entity - which is an odd statement in many ways. Dimitrov is no secret on the tour and he's been a top player for awhile so he's been on players' radars and plenty of coaches have figured out his weaknesses already. There's nothing to highlight because he's been highlighted. But even stranger is the idea that now that his backhand is better, guys are going to pick on it. like why?

Seems you are unnecessarily confrontational there. I haven't chosen "making a different argument" but following on someone else's points in the thread. Just as I've respectfully paid attention to another poster's notions, I've observed Grigor Dimitrov's career and his game which is why I have responded with the "highlight" of his new rise to the top. So, why could other top players pick on him? Because he's back breathing down on their necks again. Do you really think top ATP players pay the same amount of attention to a 12th and/or 80th ranked player when preparing for their match?