Grigor Dimitrov has joined the likes of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in being crowned with the prestigious Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award. The Bulgarian was recently felicitated with the award’s 2024 edition.
A part of the ATP Awards presented annually, the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award recognises the fair play, professionalism and integrity both on and off the court.
Understandably overwhelmed, Dimitrov, who has been on the Tour for well over a decade, took to social media to thank his fans, fellow players and tennis governing body for presenting him with the award.
The Bulgarian said honors like the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award encourage him to “keep going” and “striving” to be the best version of himself.
“I’m just very grateful, very thankful to all my fans, to all my colleagues, to everyone that has been such a support throughout all this time. I feel very fortunate,” Grigor Dimitrov said on the video posted by ATP Tour in collaboration with him.
“Thank you all for this amazing appreciation, and I’ll make sure to keep on going and to keep on striving to be the best,” he added.
Two of the three members of the ‘Big Three’, who dominated tennis for most part of Dimitrov’s active career, have also dominated the winners’ list for the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award.
While Novak Djokovic has never won the award, Roger Federer has won it on an incredible 13 occasions and Rafael Nadal five. Dimitrov has now become the third consecutive first-time winner, following in the footsteps of Casper Ruud and Carlos Alcaraz.
The award’s namesake, Stefan Edberg, is among the other multiple-time winners. The Swede lifted the award five times between 1988 and 1995 and it was later named after him in 1996.
How successful has Grigor Dimitrov been in 2024?
Grigor Dimitrov enjoyed a largely successful 2024 season, reaching the quarterfinals at two of the season’s four Grand Slam titles and reaching four Tour -level finals.
The Bulgarian began the year on a strong note, lifting his ninth career title at the Brisbane International. He bested the likes of Holger Rune, Andy Murray and Jordan Thompson en-route to lifting the trophy. He reached three more finals, including a Masters 1000 at the Miami Open which he eventually lost to Jannik Sinner.
Dimitrov also made it to the quarterfinals of two Grand Slams, namely the French and US Open, for the first time since his breakthrough season in 2014. He ended the year inside the top-10 of the world rankings.
