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Two spots left up for grabs at the season finale
Grigor Dimitrov and Marin Cilic have both secured their places at the Nitto ATP Finals, to be held from 12-19 November at The O2 in London. They will join World No. 1 Rafael Nadal, six-time champion Roger Federer, 20-year-old debutant Alexander Zverev and two-time qualifier Dominic Thiem in the elite eight-man field.
Dimitrov, the first Bulgarian to qualify for the prestigious season-ending tournament, and Cilic, who previously qualified in 2014 and 2016, clinched their berths today after fellow contender Sam Querrey lost in the first round of the Erste Bank Open 500 in Vienna.
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"Another amazing achievement for me," said Cilic. "Third time in four years to make it to London. That was one of my goals at the beginning of the season with my team and I’m glad that we have accomplished it."
In compiling the best season of his career, Dimitrov won his biggest title in August when he claimed his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crown at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati (d. Kyrgios). The Bulgarian also put together a 16-1 record en route to the Australian Open semi-finals (l. to Nadal) and a pair of ATP World Tour 250 titles. He defeated three Top 10 players — Dominic Thiem, Milos Raonic and Kei Nishikori — in the final three rounds of the Brisbane International presented by Suncorp. On home soil at the Garanti Koza Sofia Open, the 26-year-old lifted the trophy with victory over David Goffin in the final. Last week, he finished as runner-up to Juan Martin del Potro at the Intrum Stockholm Open.

Cilic claimed the ATP World Tour 250 crown at the TEB BNP Paribas Istanbul Open (d. Raonic) in April, and also reached two finals in London — one at Wimbledon (l. to Federer) and the other at the Aegon Championships at the Queen’s Club (l. to Lopez). The same week that 29-year-old Cilic won in Istanbul, he also became the third Croatian to record at least 400 match wins (also Goran Ivanisevic, Ivan Ljubicic). Currently at a career-high World No. 4 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, Cilic has won at least one ATP World Tour title for 10 consecutive years. His 17 career titles are the second-most for a Croatian behind Ivanisevic with 22 crowns.
With just two weeks left of the regular ATP World Tour season, Goffin and Pablo Carreno Busta, who are both within the Top 10 of the Emirates ATP Race To London, are leading the battle to claim the last two spots in London and qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time.

In the doubles field, Lukasz Kubot/Marcelo Melo, Henri Kontinen/John Peers, Jean-Julien Rojer/Horia Tecau, Jamie Murray/Bruno Soares, Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan, Ryan Harrison/Michael Venus and Pierre-Hugues Herbert/Nicolas Mahut have already secured their places in the eight-team field. One team spot is left up for grabs, which will be decided at next week’s Rolex Paris Masters, an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament.
The Nitto ATP Finals welcomes more than 250,000 fans to The O2 arena each year, as well as generating a global TV viewership of more than 100 million, as the ATP’s best eight singles players and doubles teams of the season compete over eight days at the biggest indoor tennis tournament in the world.

As Grigor Dimitrov steps off a Thames Clipper this week, the view will be all too familiar: the glass fibre fabric canopy of The O2 will loom large, as will the sight of 36-foot high imagery of his rivals that provide a welcome to those visiting the Nitto ATP Finals. Three years ago, as an alternate, Dimitrov learned to play a gruelling waiting game: preparing, practising, anxiously awaiting an opportunity, all in anticipation of a call – which never came – to step up following the withdrawal of a competitor.

“That was rough, but it did make me stronger and I took the positives out of it,” remembers Dimitrov, who can now afford a smile. “The [Nitto ATP] Finals is a very special place for anybody. I’ve definitely always wanted to go there and be a part of that elite group. What a better reward for the year.”

Last Thursday evening, Dimitrov savoured the Nitto ATP Finals Official Launch presented by Moët & Chandon at the Tower of London, where he posed with his contemporaries in suits for the official photograph. It would have tapped into his love for history, the arts, culture and architecture. But as the charismatic Bulgarian makes his debut at the season finale, he will remind himself that being among the Top 8 in the Emirates ATP Rankings is a prize for not only his dedication and consistency, but also for simply knowing what works best for him as an athlete.

Dimitrov was 23 when he first broke into the Top 10 in July 2014, heralding the arrival of a new generation of talent that included Kei Nishikori and Milos Raonic. While Dimitrov won three titles that season – including at the Aegon Championships at The Queen’s Club – as well as more than 50 matches, 2014 was also a year in which he dealt with a number of challenges, an experience he learned from. The focus of attention shifted from his fluent single-handed backhand and a game that is glorious to watch when he is on the attack, to unfair comparisons to Roger Federer’s tennis, and also to his life off the court. “There were times when things were definitely not going well for me, but I still had to play and compete,” says Dimitrov.

Today, it is the taste of life in the Top 10 three years ago that has become the foundation stone of his rejuvenation over the past 16 months. Dimitrov, the son of a tennis coach, has never been guilty of not grafting ever since he took the decision to leave Bulgaria as a 12-year-old to grow his talent in California, Barcelona and France. “The competition is what we want,” says Dimitrov. “Sometimes as players you stay home for three weeks and you’re dying to head out and compete. But you have to stay home and practise and put in that work.

“That work is sometimes way more important than anything else, because if you’re feeling fresh and happy and determined, when the tournaments come around you feel happier and you get into that match mode, rhythm, and everything begins to click. When you win, you want to win more. When you lose, it feels like the end of the world. So you have to find the right balance.”

Ever since Dani Vallverdu, the former coach to two of the sport’s hardest workers in Andy Murray and Tomas Berdych, came on board in August 2016, alongside fitness trainer Sebastien Duran and physiotherapist Azdine Bousnana, there has been new perspective. Dimitrov was ranked World No. 40 at the time. Now, he is assured of his first year-end Top 10 finish.

“Initially, I sat down with Dani and the rest of the team to map out a plan,” recalls Dimitrov. “’This is what we’re going to do now’… ‘This is how we’re going to do it’ and ‘Let’s go from there.’ It was basically about simplifying everything as much as possible, from my fitness, to the on-court work to the off-court work.

“Setting regular targets – short-, medium- and long-term – has helped to develop my confidence and consistency. There comes a time when you realise that you can play good tennis, you deserve to be toe-to-toe with and beat the top guys. Learning to be patient has also made a big difference.”

To observe Dimitrov’s off-season training block at the Monte-Carlo Country Club in November and December 2016 was to witness a player calmly going about each exhausting task, totally focused on the now, while preparing for the future. The close-knit nature of the team ensures Dimitrov really trusts and respect those around him, but they also aren’t afraid to tell him if he’s taking his foot off the gas. Arriving at the Country Club early each morning, Dimitrov switched off his brain and simply pushed harder in the gym: through stretching, cardio, weights and resistance training, then on the court in interval training, balance work and technical adjustments to improve his fluency. Each session was fuel for the tank, an indicator to his rivals that he was ready to compile a career-best season in 2017.

“There’s no hiding from the Australian sun, and when the new season begins you see who has been working and who hasn’t when you come out of the garage,” says Dimitrov, who got off to a 16-1 start this year. He beat three Top 10 players — Dominic Thiem, Raonic and Nishikori — in the final three rounds of the Brisbane International presented by Suncorp, advanced to the Australian Open semi-finals and clinched the Garanta Koza Sofia Open crown on home soil in February.

Those results got him moving in the right direction, from a 2016 year-end No. 17 in the Emirates ATP Rankings and back into the Top 10 by July. After the biggest title of his career in August, when Dimitrov claimed his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crown at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, and recently finishing runner-up at the Intrum Stockholm Open, the 26-year-old is now closing in on the second season of his career with 50 or more match wins.

What next? Walking out of his individual, personalised locker-room at the Nitto ATP Finals and towards the court, Dimitrov’s mind won’t be fast-forwarding to next year, as “thinking about 2018 seems scary”, but will be completely fixated on the present, on what happens here in London: “I’m focusing on the now.”

Following a career year on the ATP World Tour, Grigor Dimitrov looks ahead to his debut appearance at the Nitto ATP Finals
Take a look around The O2 this week and you'd be hard-pressed to find a player more exuberant and wide-eyed than Grigor Dimitrov.
Can you blame him?
After 10 seasons competing as a pro and pursuing his dreams on the ATP World Tour, Dimitrov has compiled his best campaign in 2017. The 26-year-old was rewarded with his first trip to the Nitto ATP Finals in London. In a season filled with new experiences, he admits he is relishing his debut appearance at the season finale.
"I can't hide my smile," Dimitrov told the assembled media ahead of the tournament. "I'm pretty pleased to be out here. For sure it's a dream come true for me. In the past I've missed qualifying by one spot. It's always been a goal of mine to come out here and perform. The arena is pretty special and they take such good care of you here. It's a great reward. I'm so happy and super humbled."
It's the philosophy that every successful player on the ATP World Tour attributes to achieving their goals: hard work and dedication pay off. With the addition of Dani Vallverdu as coach, Dimitrov discovered a change in mentality and discipline both on and off the court. Up to a career-high No. 6 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, this personal growth and maturation has seen the Bulgarian soar in his quest to realise his full potential.
A dominant January and February, which saw Dimitrov post a 16-1 record en route to the Australian Open semi-finals and ATP World Tour 250 crowns in Brisbane and Sofia, was just the start. He would claim his biggest title in August at the Western & Southern Open, lifting his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 trophy. The triumph in Cincinnati would see him return to the Top 10 for the first time in more than two years, and he would proceed to reach his 13th ATP World Tour final last month in Stockholm (l. to Del Potro).

It's this enhanced focus and determination that Dimitrov credits for his success, as he looks forward to London and beyond.
"My overall performance the whole year has been pretty good. I have been more consistent, which is the key for me. Also, winning Cincinnati propelled me to do even better and I was fighting throughout every tournament I played. I had good discipline the whole year and ultimately I reached this goal. But I didn't change anything major. Not too much.
"It's mid-November and I'm already excited for next year and looking forward to the work during the offseason. It's a good sign... With the right attitude, the good work ethic, just staying healthy, being as close as possible to your team and following your goals, everything can only get better. One of my most important goals is be better than I was yesterday whenever I get out on the court. Age doesn't mean anything to me anymore.
Paired with top seed Rafael Nadal, Dominic Thiem and fellow debutant David Goffin in Group Pete Sampras, Dimitrov will look to build on a 44-19 record in 2017.
He opens against Thiem in Monday's day session, in what will be their third FedEx ATP Head2Head encounter of the year. Dimitrov kicked off the season with a three-set victory over the Austrian in Brisbane, but Thiem reciprocated with a win in a deciding tie-break at the Mutua Madrid Open in May.
"I've played a few times against Dominic. He's one of the best players. To be here, you've obviously done something right. I'm looking forward to the match. It's cool to be here at the end of the year and play your last matches against the top players. I already had my first hit on the court and I think it's going to be a great match."

In his debut at the Nitto ATP Finals, Grigor Dimitrov played as if he had been here before. The Bulgarian came up with clutch shot after clutch shot against Dominic Thiem, racing around The O2 to beat the fourth-seeded Austrian in a topsy-turvy match, 6-3, 5-7, 7-5, on Monday.

The sixth seed broke Thiem three times, including late in the third set as the Austrian struggled to hold his nerves. Thiem was serving at 5-5, 0/30 when he double faulted twice to hand Dimitrov the break. The Bulgarian fell behind 0/15 at 6-5 but converted on his third match point to clinch a successful debut.


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“It's never easy to come out here and play for the first time. I'm super excited to be out here,” Dimitrov said. “Every match I want to win 100 per cent for myself and follow what I've been working on. Things seem to be going the right way so far.”

The right-hander is the first player from his country to make the season-ending championships in its 48-year history. Thiem, meanwhile, was playing in London for the second consecutive year and led their FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry 2-1, most recently saving five match points to beat Dimitrov on clay at the Mutua Madrid Open.

But while Thiem has had incredible success on red dirt against the ATP World Tour's best, he's still looking for that success on hard courts. Coming into this week, Thiem was 1-13 against the Top 10 on the surface.

And Dimitrov looked the more comfortable player in the opening set. He broke Thiem in the sixth game for a 4-2 lead when the Austrian sailed a forehand long. Thiem landed only 40 per cent of his first serves in the opener. Dimitrov, meanwhile, was in control with the ball on his racquet, winning 88 per cent (22/25) of his first-serve points.

Thiem, though, settled his game in the second set, holding throughout and breaking Dimitrov at 6-5 to extend the match when the Bulgarian hit a pair of forehands long. But in the final set, Dimitrov was the one who controlled his nerves the best, breaking Thiem and serving out the match for a dream debut.

The right-hander has been open about how making the Nitto ATP Finals has been a dream of his. That dream got better on Monday.

"It's a special moment for me for me but also I hope for my country"

By Raz Mirza at The O2
Last Updated: 13/11/17 8:46pm

Grigor Dimitrov made a winning start to his ATP Finals campaign
Grigor Dimitrov made a winning start to his ATP Finals campaign
Grigor Dimitrov believes "the sky is the limit" for him in 2018 after he held his nerve to launch his ATP Finals campaign with victory over Dominic Thiem.

The elegant Bulgarian surrendered a one-set lead at London's O2 Arena and then needed two chances to serve for victory in the decider before edging past the talented Thiem 6-3 5-7 7-5.

Ranked a career-high sixth in the world, Dimitrov has enjoyed the best season of his career

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I'm super excited for what's ahead. I'm already looking for the next season

Grigor Dimitrov
"It's a special moment for me for me but also I hope for my country," Dimitrov said.

"For people just to realise that whatever you put your mind to, if you push those boundaries every day, if you work hard the sky is the limit.

"I'm super excited for what's ahead. I'm already looking for the next season. Getting excited also a little bit for the off-season, which it's not the most exciting time, but I'm getting excited. I think that's a good sign, right?"

Dimitrov earns debut ATP Finals win
Grigor Dimitrov earns battling victory over Dominic Thiem on ATP Finals debut
Thiem has been unable to play on fast hardcourt surfaces
Thiem has been unable to play on fast hardcourt surfaces
Thiem remains a potent force on his favoured clay but is yet to replicate that form on faster surfaces. On hard courts, he has beaten a top-10 opponent only once in 15 matches.

"It would have been better to win the match but there are still two more matches, two chances," he said. "It's only over when I cannot reach the semi-final anymore."

Grigor Dimitrov on Wednesday looked like a man determined to seize his first opportunity at the Nitto ATP Finals.

The sixth seed dashed to 6-0, 6-2 win against Belgian David Goffin, cruising in only 74 minutes to move to 2-0 in London. Dimitrov guaranteed his spot in the semi-finals, joining Roger Federer as the only two singles players who have secured their weekend reservations. The Bulgarian has also put himself in great shape to win Group Pete Sampras and face the second-place finisher of Group Boris Becker on Saturday.

“You have days like that. I work for those days. It's very nice when they come on such an occasion,” Dimitrov said. “I'm very humbled to win that match because I just wanted to come out and compete today.”

The first Bulgarian to qualify for the season finale in its 48-year history was dominant all day. He raced to a 3-0 lead, winning 12 of the first 15 points. Goffin had two game points on serve for 1-3 but Dimitrov pulled out the 15-point affair and broke once more for the first set.

Forty-eight minutes into the match, Goffin put himself on the scoreboard. But he never found the level that had helped him start 1-0 at The O2. Goffin ended the match with 28 unforced errors and only nine winners. Dimitrov was nearly the opposite: 18 winners and 11 unforced errors.

The matchup seemed like it would follow a Nitto ATP Finals pattern so far this week and go three sets.

On Monday, Goffin had celebrated the biggest win of his career, and his first Nitto ATP Finals victory, by upsetting World No. 1 Rafael Nadal, who later pulled out of the tournament because of an injury to his right knee.

Goffin also had beaten Dimitrov during their most recent FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting, a three-sets win indoors at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam in February.

Instead, the Belgian will attempt to finish Group Pete Sampras play in London with a win against Austrian Dominic Thiem.