Welcome back to title town, Grigor Dimitrov!
On Sunday, the 32-year-old ended a title drought dating back to the 2017 Nitto ATP Finals. In a matchup of the top two seeds at the Brisbane International, the second-seeded Dimitrov defeated No. 1 seed Holger Rune, 7-6 (5), 6-4.
"It's been a while since I held one of these," an emotional Dimitrov reacted during the trophy presentation.
The victory cemented the former world No. 3’s first triumph in 2,240 days. He previously finished runner-up on three occasions during that stretch, going more than five years without contesting a final:
- 2017 ATP Finals F: d. David Goffin, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3
- 2018 Rotterdam F: l. to Roger Federer, 6-2, 6-2
- 2023 Geneva F: l. to Nicolas Jarry, 7-6 (1), 6-1
- 2023 Paris Masters F: l. to Novak Djokovic, 6-4, 6-3
- 2024 Brisbane F: d. Holger Rune, 7-6 (5), 6-4
"It's a very interesting, I don't know, era that I'm at. It's like I'm getting a second wind not only in my sport but in my life with the things," Dimitrov said after beating Jordan Thompson in the semifinals.