INDIAN WELLS, Calif.—Grigor Dimitrov wants to keep up his stellar start this season, having returned to being among the top younger contenders on tour.
The 25-year-old Bulgarian won two titles in his first three events, and also reached the semifinals of the Australian Open, where he fell to Rafael Nadal in five sets. He is now 17-2 for the season, and is into the third round at Indian Wells.
He wants to keep ascending.
"I felt [that I] started the year good—confidence is growing," he said at Indian Wells. "I don't want to think about it. I just want to get [on court] and play my matches the way I want to play."
A top prospect since he was a teenager, Dimitrov experienced a mid-season slide in 2016, but insists he is now back on track.
"I know a lot of people are saying he should have been Top 10 by so-and-so,” he said, “but everyone has their own different path, and this is the path I'm on right now. And I appreciate every step of it so far.”
He began working with a new coach, Dani Vallverdu, during the hard-court season, and is taking a simplified approach to the game that includes building points around his forehand and practicing even on match days.
"When you play so many matches, there is so little time to work on details," he said.
He attributes much of his play this season to practice and training.
"The offseason was just a lot of work," he said. "There were days we spent just doing the same thing. I was going crazy. I was just on court, hitting the forehand crosscourt for 20 minutes."
The plan is to keep doing the same, and build the rest of his game.
"I think, now, it's important to just sustain that,” he said. “Prove I can win a lot of matches and beat the top guys. When you start doing [better], you tend to want to do more—practice more, or add something to your daily routine. Just keep on working and doing what you do."
Back in the Top 15, Dimitrov has reached a career-high No. 8 in the rankings.
