Dimitrov’s Natural Bond with Nalbandian Fuels Acapulco Push
Grigor Dimitrov arrives in Acapulco with a revamped team, where former rivals David Nalbandian and Xavier Malisse bring tactical clarity and mental resilience to counter a year of setbacks and spark a 2026 resurgence.
Under Acapulco‘s balmy skies, Grigor Dimitrov steps onto familiar hard courts, racket in hand, chasing the rhythm that evaded him through a turbulent 2025. At 34, the Bulgarian arrives with quiet determination, his camp bolstered by fresh expertise as he eyes a deep run in the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC. This ATP 500 event, where he claimed the title on debut in 2014, now serves as a proving ground for adjustments born from injury and introspection.
The addition of David Nalbandian, former No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings and 11-time tour-level champion, alongside Xavier Malisse, a former Top 20 player who joined at the season’s start, feels less like a hire and more like an inevitable alignment. Dimitrov’s history with them— a 2-1 ATP Head2Head edge over Malisse and a single loss to Nalbandian at Queen’s Club in 2012—provides a foundation of mutual understanding. Early practices reveal Nalbandian’s influence in refining baseline depth, while Malisse sharpens serve-volley transitions suited to these medium-paced surfaces.
“I knew them separately, and it also helps when you’ve played against them a few times,” Dimitrov said in an ATP Media interview ahead of his run in Acapulco. “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.
Rivals forge shared vision
Conversations with Nalbandian and Malisse quickly uncovered parallels in career arcs, from navigating injuries to crafting game plans under pressure. Dimitrov notes how these discussions clarified priorities, blending Nalbandian’s flat groundstrokes with Malisse’s aggressive net play to evolve his own versatile style. On Acapulco’s Plexicushion courts, where bounce aids topspin exchanges, this synergy emphasizes controlled aggression—using crosscourt backhands to set up inside-in forehands against returners like Terence Atmane in his opener on Wednesday.
The team’s dynamic thrives on familiarity, turning past matches into tactical blueprints. Nalbandian probes Dimitrov’s one–two patterns, urging deeper returns to disrupt second serves, while Malisse drills footwork for quick slides into defense. With just one win from three matches this year, these sessions build momentum, the humid air thick with the crack of balls testing new angles.
“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.”
Injury reshapes mental game
The pectoral tear at Wimbledon in 2025, where Dimitrov retired up two sets against Jannik Sinner, marked a turning point, sidelining him for three months and limiting him to one more match before year’s end. That absence forced a mental overhaul, confronting the unfamiliarity of prolonged downtime and rebuilding confidence through deliberate reflection. Now, back on court, he channels that experience into resilient patterns, focusing on recovery positioning to sustain rallies on hard courts that demand endurance.
Dimitrov arrived early in Acapulco, logging extra hours to reclaim practice time lost to recovery. The injury’s psychological weight lingers, yet he views it as a catalyst for growth, adjusting habits to prevent overextension in key moments. Against Atmane’s power-oriented game, expect down-the-line surprises to exploit openings, with the crowd’s evening roar amplifying each point won.
“I had to change things up, whether I liked it or not,” Dimitrov said of his injury. “It was more of the work that I had to do for myself, more from a mental point of view. I had to change a lot of things and that played a little mind game with me. It’s normal, though, and I’m trying to find the silver lining. I’d never really been injured or experienced being away from the sport for that long, so it was extremely new.”
Acapulco revives old fire
Memories of 2014 flood back as Dimitrov treads these courts, where he outlasted Andy Murray in a three-set semifinal thriller en route to victory. That triumph, blending finesse with firepower, inspires his current preparation, though he insists on treating each year anew—building habits that ground him amid the tournament’s pulsing energy. The fast hard courts here reward variety, from slice approaches to heavy topspin loops, areas where his coaches’ input hones precision.
As he targets the form that secured the 2017 Nitto ATP Finals crown, Dimitrov integrates mental cues with physical tweaks, visualizing extended points to maintain focus. A strong showing could net crucial rankings points, propelling him toward contention in the seasons ahead. In Acapulco’s night sessions, where lights cast long shadows and fans chant with fervor, this reset promises to transform scars into strength, setting the stage for a deeper climb.
“I came earlier. I just wanted to make sure I step on the court a few extra hours,” said Dimitrov, who opens against Terence Atmane on Wednesday at the ATP 500. “The past months have been a little bumpy. I haven’t been able to practise as much as I would like nor was I able to get more matches.”
“I’m always going to hold on to great memories,” he added when asked about that 2014 run. “Every time we step into the same tournament, it’s the same tournament, but it’s a new year. I’m always trying to build off that new habit, whatever the new preparation looks like. I’m always trying to understand myself. Hopefully I’m able to really implement them and make sure that I am feeling good about it when I step on the court.”
