Dimitrov recalls first fashion show in RG interview

Grigor Dimitrov has long been known as one of the ATP Tour's more stylish players, and opened up about his evolving love for fashion in an interview with Daniela Hantuchova for the Roland Garros YouTube channel.

"It was important for me to understand what I like, my own identity in terms of what I like to wear, how I like to wear it, what shows I like to go to and why," he said. "I wanted to have those reasons, and with time, I got very specific with the things I like. I don’t like things that can be right there, I like things that are different, from jewelry to watches. I like things to be unique and different. I always say that everything is in the details."

Dimitrov went on to recall his first time walking in a Dolce and Gabbana fashion show, an opportunity that came up through a phone call from Anna Wintour herself back in 2017.

"I was literally on the court finishing practice, but I took a plane and went that same day. You never say 'no' to Anna. I mean, you can, but we have such a great relationship and she was telling me I had to walk in this show, that I had to be one of those guys."

A three-time Grand Slam semifinalist, the former world No. 3 likened the atmosphere back stage at a fashion show to the adrenaline players feel before a big match.

"Before matches, you’re always preparing and have your little rituals. It was the same thing but a different environment, so I felt like I could relate to that and really applied that feeling. I’ve walked for about a minute, and you take three hours to get ready for that one minute, but still, that one minute and a half felt so long! I was like, ‘What am I supposed to do, just walk?’ I felt unaggressive, like I was just going to walk. At the same time, it felt humbling and one of those times I realized that how you wear the clothes is how you want to wear them."

"It was in the time after that when I realized that, sure, you buy things because you want to have them, but now whenever I buy something, whether it’s a t-shirt or shorts, I think to myself, ‘Am I going to wear it? Am I going to be able to match it with something?’ That in and of itself helped me pick and choose my style a little bit differently. I never wanted to follow one style in particular."

Check out the full interview, in which Dimitrov compares the style of legendary players and reveals whether he prefers wine or champagne (Spoiler alert: neither!).