Dimitrov on Sinner's surge: 'It's his time'

Grigor Dimitrov has been one of the in-form players of the 2024 ATP Tour season. Behind 20 match wins on the year and a title in Brisbane, the resurgent Bulgarian is in sixth place in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin.

At the Miami Open presented by Itau, he beat Hubert Hurkacz, Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev in succession to reach his third ATP Masters 1000 final. But the red-hot Jannik Sinner was too much to handle in Sunday's title match.

"Clearly it's Jannik's week," Dimitrov said after his 3-6, 1-6 defeat. "He's been playing amazing tennis. It's really impressive how he's been able to keep that way of playing."

Dimi, it’s always a pleasure watching you shine 💫

Thank you for an incredible two weeks ❤️@miamiopen | #miamiopen pic.twitter.com/193pH6gyXd

— ATP Tour (@atptour) March 31, 2024

Dimitrov started well in the final and created an early break point, but Sinner ran away with the match once he secured a lead in the opening set.

"I feel like a lot of his matches have been like that. I think he's one speed of game right now. I think it's really working," said the Bulgarian, who is already plotting his adjustments for the pair's next Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting.

"But of course I always say every player has his little weakness," he continued. "Maybe next time when I play him I will try to do something else. But today clearly I was unable to match his game and even to match his shots. I think for a little bit I was doing well, but a lot of the important moments went his way. That makes a huge difference in a match from that calibre. It's as simple as that.

"Then also once he has a little bit of confidence or he's a break up, he becomes even more difficult to play and to even, you know, get him on the back foot."

While Dimitrov was not quite ready to compare Sinner with prime Roger Federer — who made him want to "dig a hole and disappear" at Wimbledon in 2017 — he was effusive in his praise for the new No. 2 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

"I think at the moment, clearly Jannik is playing outstanding tennis," he said. "You see how focused he is, how determined he is. The way he's hitting his shots, there is zero doubt, so a lot of that level, it's extremely high up. I don't feel the need to compare him to any other player or any player, for that matter. I think it's just clearly that's his time of... prime tennis that he's playing.

"Can he play any better? I don't know. He's the one to show that. But at the moment that he's been able to really put so many matches back to back with the same level, so all credit goes to him. And he is the best player right now in the world."