Grigor Dimitrov doesn’t have many wins over Novak Djokovic, but his last one is special.
The best Bulgarian tennis player in history won 6:4, 2:6, 10:6 in the long tiebreak against the record holder of titles from the “Grand Slam” in the Arena Sofia hall, which was filled to capacity.
For statistics, this match has no significance, but in this case the goal of the match was completely different.
The match of the stars, organized by the “Grigor Dimitrov” foundation, was for a charitable purpose. The funds collected will help disadvantaged children and young tennis talents. During the coronavirus pandemic, the foundation run by his mother Maria provided money for respiratory machines for needy patients in Haskovo (Grigor’s hometown).
There were also many foreigners among the audience in Sofia, who did not stop taking pictures and sharing moments from the show on social networks.
What would a charity match for children be if it didn’t involve… children? Both Novak and Grigor gave their young fans a chance to get involved in the game. The Serbian did it first, giving his racket to a boy, and the blonde cutie forced Grigor to make a mistake.
Much more important was the role of a 13-year-old talent. Damian Avramovski was standing very close to the court and at match point he took Dimitrov’s racket to play the point and possibly win the match “on behalf” of our tennis player.
The young man with a Macedonian father, who represents Bulgaria, showed enviable self-confidence and, without being startled by the thought that he was against a former No. 1 in the world, took the game. Avramovski is on Djokovic and Dimitrov’s team because he has a contract with Lacoste gear. Currently, Damian is our best tennis player under 13 years old and trains in the capital club “Baroko”.
Before the demonstration match, Grigor Dimitrov gave an open lesson “Game, set, match for health” to more than 50 children from different clubs. The former No. 3 in the world shared with the youngsters the rules that he continues to follow. Here are what they are: 1. Tennis is not a sprint, but a marathon. Persistence and discipline are the way to success, 2. Listen to your body, 3. Take care of your health. Check yourself regularly, 4. Clean food is clean fuel. Don’t compromise on it, 5. Train well, get plenty of rest, 6. When you’re stressed, just breathe and move, 7. Learn to lose. This is also important. This is the way to victory, 8. Be positive in everything you do, 9. Be grateful to the people who are by your side. You are a team, 10. Believe in yourself and in what you do.