Dimitrov reveals coaching split with Davin before Wimbledon

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  • Dimitrov failed to reach the fourth round at Wimbledon.

    Grigor Dimitrov has revealed that he split with his coach Franco Davin before Wimbledon and he had been competing at a major without a team behind him for the first time in his career.

    The Bulgarian ended a six-match losing streak and won back-to-back matches for the first time since May 1 by reaching the third round but fell to American Steve Johnson on Saturday 6-7(6), 7-6(3), 6-4, 6-2 to exit the tournament, missing out on a chance to set up a fourth round clash with Roger Federer.

    Johnson, who is on an eight-match winning streak having captured the title in Nottingham last week, triumphed in a rain-interrupted battle that was suspended at 4-3 in the opening set on Friday, and was completed on Saturday on Court 18.

    “I’m alone in this tournament. I’m not trying to hide it, obviously. Things just haven’t worked out good for us. It is what it is. This is the situation,” said Dimitrov about his status with Davin, who is the former coach of Juan Martin del Potro.

    “I mean, I know how to play tennis in the same time. I just have to do a little bit extra work on my own with the racquets, with the stringing, the balls, the courts, the practice. Other than that I’m pretty comfortable right now and happy.”

    Dimitrov, who made the Wimbledon semi-finals two years ago and cracked the top-10 that season, is now ranked 37 in the world and has not made it past the third round at a major since a fourth round showing at the 2015 Australian Open.

    He says he split with Davin the week before Wimbledon.

    “It’s (time) for me to obviously find something else, something new, something that would get me back on the right track,” said the 25-year-old.

    “I mean, I want to improve. That’s my main goal. I want to improve and I want to win matches. If you do all that right, I mean, everything’s coming together.”

    On what he will be looking for when deciding on his next coach, Dimitrov added: “I haven’t thought about it, to be honest. I’m just trying to ‑ that was the first time for me just taking obviously such a decision and especially before a tournament like that. I’m just trying to stay positive and not think about it.

    “Obviously now I’m going to have a bit of time to think about all that, but the decision is taken. As I said, I’m confident behind that. So let’s see. This is just a process now.”

    Franco Davin (C) guided Del Potro to his 2009 triumph in New York.

    Franco Davin (C) guided Del Potro to his 2009 triumph in New York.

    Dimitrov said having to deal with the daily logistics by himself the past week at Wimbledon was a positive, although often stressful, learning experience.

    “I’m pleased with it. For some reason I feel very positive, first with the decision that I took, and then to be able to control everything on my own after that, it shows me a lot. I don’t do it for anyone else but me,” said the Bulgarian.

    “I think that’s just very important for me right now, to show to myself to show that what I do is not for anyone else. It’s just for me.”

    Del Potro, who had lots of success with Davin, including winning the 2009 US Open, does not have a coach at the moment as he continues to mount his comeback from a lengthy injury hiatus.

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