Grigov Dimitrov has shown how important sporting integrity is to him several times in his career. Although he has never won a Grand Slam title, he is one of the most respected stars, simply due to how he conducts himself on the court. A display of his sportsmanship was once again on display at the Nordea Open.

The match between Grigor Dimitrov and Dalibor Svrcina was at an important juncture. With the Bulgarian having secured a minibreak and taken a 2-0 lead in the first-set tiebreaker, Svrcina brought him to the net with an approach shot. Dimitrov seemingly reached and won the point as his opponent’s return shot hit the net. Despite the chair umpire ruling the point in his favor, Dimitrov remained unsure whether he had played the ball before it bounced twice, and ultimately, he overruled the umpire’s call, asking for the point to be replayed.

This was a moment of great sportsmanship. The decision would have put Dimitrov’s efforts in the first set to waste as he had recovered from a 4-1 deficit in the set, while also stopping his opponent from serving the set out at 5-3 and taking it to a tiebreak. However, the fortune favored the Bulgarian, as he won the replayed point, giving him a 3-0 lead in the tiebreak, which he won 7-5 and took the crucial first set.

Dimitrov is known for his acts of sportsmanship across the ATP, which enhances the Bulgarian’s popularity amongst his peers. Back in 2018, Dimitrov did not hesitate to jump over the net and tend to his opponent, Kyle Edmund, who had taken a nasty fall and had seriously injured himself. Dimitrov helped the Brit to his feet and helped him carry off the court. In 2024, he defused a very tense situation with Hubert Hurkacz at the French Open when the Pole asked the Bulgarian to make a joint appeal to change the chair umpire, as some calls had gone against the Pole. Not only did Dimitrov refuse, but he also later defended his opponent’s actions in the media.

ATP has given Dimitrov due recognition for his sportsmanship over time, awarding him the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award in 2024, a prize selected by his peers. On the court, the former World No. 3 gradually seems to be coming back to some form, as evidenced by his recent run at Wimbledon and his performances at the Nordea Open.

Grigor Dimitrov is gradually getting back to Form

Since he was out of action due to a pectoral injury against Jannik Sinner at last year’s Wimbledon, Dimitrov has struggled to get decent Tour-level results this year. Before Wimbledon, the Bulgarian’s only decent result of the season was a quarterfinal run at the Mallorca Championships. His rankings had taken such a hit that he had to play at the Challenger level, even receiving a wildcard for Wimbledon.

However, Dimitrov let go of the past results as he reached the fourth round at SW19, with wins over the likes of Dane Sweeney, Jakub Mensik, and Matteo Berrettini. The draw had opened up on his section, and there was a chance he could have made a deeper run, but he was stopped by the fairytale run of Arthur Ferry, who beat him in a five-set thriller.

Despite a decent Wimbledon outing, it was evident that Dimitrov had not gotten over the heartbreak of last year against Sinner, when he got injured after winning the first two sets with the roof closed. Even this year around, the Bulgarian tried to make his point to the supervisor about the roof closing timings during his matches, urging them to keep conditions equal throughout the match to reduce the risk of injury.

Even at the Nordea Open, Dimitrov got a good start as he beat Svrcina in three sets, and will now take on one former champion, Nuno Borges, in the second round. Dimitrov currently sits at 146 in the live rankings and hopes to improve gradually so he can secure a direct entry into the US Open.