RAFAEL NADAL was hailed as a “very special guy” after helping fellow tennis star Grigor Dimitrov through some low periods – including with a fishing trip in Mallorca.
The world No2, 33, may lead the head to head between the pair 13-1 but the Bulgarian admitted he has been a great help off the court.
Speaking about their friendship, Dimitrov said: “He’s a very special guy.
“He has a pretty amazing personality, to be honest. I’ve spent so much time with him on and off the court.
“Being able to practise with him, share moments off the court.
“I’ve really learnt a lot from him in the past four or five years. I was going through a little bit of a tough time and I practised with him for a little bit and my form increased.
“Everything is just positive when it comes around him and it is great to be around him.”
Dimitrov – who has dated Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams and Nicole Scherzinger in his career – also spoke at length about the difficulties and challenges facing a professional tennis player on the ATP Tour.
He added: “It comes with the territory and it is just how it is. There is no shortcut in tennis however you look at it. We have one of the most taxing sports on the body. Our season is long.
“I would play basically from January to the beginning of November so you can only imagine what the body goes through with the travelling, jet lag, switching surfaces and so on.
“It really is a choice because we are spoilt at the end of the day if you are one of the best you are definitely spoiled but in order to get there, you need to put in a ridiculous amount of work.
“I don’t want to use the word sacrifice because I’m not a big fan of that word because we all have a choice.
“I decided right now to be that. When I’m on the court I’m Grigor the tennis player. When I’m outside the courts I’m just Grigor and it is good to have a difference between those two.”
FISHING FRIENDS
Nadal and Dimitrov played an exhibition match in Atlanta on Monday, which Rafa won 7-5 6-3, just days after the Spaniard won their 14th official meeting in the Acapulco semi-final.
But the two close friends have spent plenty of time together off the court as well – even spending time on the home island of the 19-time Grand Slam champ.
Nadal said: “We have been in Mallorca together. We go out in the boat and catch some fish.
“Tennis is not forever but the friendship is.”
Nadal also recently opened up on his relationship with arch-frenemy Roger Federer.
The pair have won 39 Grand Slams between them and earned a collective £200million, pushing each other for the last 16 years.
But with their careers intertwined since Nadal burst on to the scene in 2004, the Spaniard revealed they get on really well after sharing the limelight for so many years.
He said: “It’s a rivalry, of course, but it’s also a friendship. We’re having a great story together. We have had long careers.
“Facing each other in the most important tournaments for such a very, very long time.
“Creating positive things for charity, playing in special events like we did in Cape Town in South Africa like we did a few weeks ago.”
Federer may lead Nadal 20-19 in terms of Grand Slam titles – and 103-85 in all tournaments – but it is the Spaniard who leads the head-to-head record 24-16.
But the pair, with a combined age of 81, teamed up to win the Laver Cup for Europe and then in February played a charity match with Bill Gates, Siya Kolisi and Trevor Noah in Cape Town, raising £2.7m.
