Grigor Dimitrov opens up about bringing two former ATP Tour stars into his coaching team
Grigor Dimitrov has revealed that the fact he “could relate” to former ATP Tour players David Nalbandian and Xavier Malisse was a reason why he brought them into his team.
Former world No 3 Dimitrov began working with Belgian star Malisse at the start of 2026, with Argentina’s Nalbandian officially becoming part of the Bulgarian’s entourage earlier this month.
The 34-year-old’s work with both Nalbandian and Malisse came following his split with long-time coaches Jamie Delgado and Dani Vallverdu, who parted ways with Dimitrov following his post-Wimbledon injury recovery last season.
Currently ranked 44th in the ATP Rankings after his injury layoff, the Bulgarian is one of the most experienced players competing in the men’s game, winning nine ATP Tour titles and reaching three Grand Slam semi-finals during his career.
That experience helps him relate to both Nalbandian and Malisse, who were both notable figures in the sport during the 2000s.
Nalbandian reached a career-high of third during the peak of his powers and was a beaten finalist at Wimbledon in 2002, reaching the semi-final of the other three major events and winning 11 ATP titles before his retirement in 2013.
Meanwhile, Malisse was a Wimbledon semi-finalist in 2002 — falling to Nalbandian at that stage — and reached a career-high of 19th in the ATP Rankings, retiring in 2013 after winning three ATP titles.
Dimitrov played once against Nalbandian and three times against Malisse during the early stages of his career, and has long-term relationships with both men.
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In quotes reported by the ATP Tour this week, Dimitrov discussed how the new partnerships were forged and how all three were approaching the coming season.
“I knew them separately, and it also helps when you’ve played against them a few times,” said Dimitrov.
“It’s nice when you can relate to someone that you have played. They have been retired for over 10 years, but it’s also not that long ago.
“At the beginning, when I got into conversations with them, we really started to see things similarly, and I could relate to them in terms of the timing of their careers, injuries, game plan, thoughts, and all of that.
“In a way, it happened so naturally. Right now, we are still finding our footing, because it’s very new for all of us, but things are very clear of what needs to be done and how we want to tackle the game.”
Dimitrov was forced to retire with a pectoral injury during his Wimbledon fourth-round match against Jannik Sinner last summer, having led the eventual champion by two sets to love.
The 34-year-old made a brief return to court at the Paris Masters last November, though has made a more significant return at the start of the 2026 season.
With a 1-3 record for the year to date, Dimitrov will look to pick up some key wins at the Mexican Open this week.
The Bulgarian starts his campaign against Terence Atmane, and would then face rising star Rafael Jodar in round two should he triumph.
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