Dimitrov on Nalbandian addition: 'It happened so naturally'
Fresh coaching firepower surrounds Grigor Dimitrov while he prepares for the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC.
Former No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings and 11-time tour-level champion David Nalbandian has recently joined the Bulgarian’s camp, adding further experience to a team that already welcomed former Top 20 player Xavier Malisse at the start of the season. For Dimitrov, the early signs have been encouraging as he works to rediscover his top level.
“I knew them separately, and it also helps when you’ve played against them a few times,” Dimitrov said in an ATP Media interview ahead of his run in Acapulco. “It’s nice when you can relate to someone that you have played. They have been retired for over 10 years, but it’s also not that long ago.
“At the beginning, when I got into conversations with them, we really started to see things similarly and I could relate to them in terms of the timing of their careers, injuries, game plan, thoughts, and all of that. In a way, it happened so naturally. Right now, we are still finding our footing, because it’s very new for all of us, but things are very clear of what needs to be done and how we want to tackle the game.”
Dimitrov owns a 2-1 Lexus ATP Head2Head record against Malisse and lost his lone meeting with Nalbandian at Queen’s Club in 2012. More than a decade on, former rivals are now united in pursuit of a shared goal.
The reset follows a frustrating 2025 campaign, during which Dimitrov was forced to retire due to a sudden pectoral injury while leading Jannik Sinner by two sets at Wimbledon. It was a setback that limited him to just one further appearance before turning his focus to the new season.
With one win from his first three matches this year, the 34-year-old hopes a return to Acapulco — where he lifted the trophy on his debut in 2014 — can reignite his momentum.
“I came earlier. I just wanted to make sure I step on the court a few extra hours,” said Dimitrov, who opens against Terence Atmane on Wednesday at the ATP 500. “The past months have been a little bumpy. I haven’t been able to practise as much as I would like nor was I able to get more matches.”
That 2014 run, in which he beat Andy Murray in an epic three-set semi-final, remains a cherished memory, yet Dimitrov is focused firmly on the present.
“I’m always going to hold on to great memories,” said Dimitrov when asked about that run. “Every time we step into the same tournament, it’s the same tournament, but it’s a new year. I’m always trying to build off that new habit, whatever the new preparation looks like.
“I’m always trying to understand myself. Hopefully I’m able to really implement them and make sure that I am feeling good about it when I step on the court.”
[NO 1 CLUB]The pectoral injury, which kept him out for three months between Wimbledon and Paris also offered a period of reflection. As he targets a return to the form that he used to win the 2017 Nitto ATP Finals crown, Dimitrov recognises the internal adjustments required.
“I had to change things up, whether I liked it or not,” Dimitrov said of his injury. “It was more of the work that I had to do for myself, more from a mental point of view. I had to change a lot of things and that played a little mind game with me. It’s normal, though, and I’m trying to find the silver lining. I’d never really been injured or experienced being away from the sport for that long, so it was extremely new.”
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