Eight-time grand slam champion Andre Agassi has started working as a mentor for Grigor Dimitrov in a role that will see him decide how much time he spends with the Bulgarian.
The 48-year-old was spotted at one of Dimitrov’s training sessions earlier this week at the Paris Masters. Fueling speculation that he has taken on a new coaching role. Agassi previously worked with Novak Djokovic between May 2017 – Match 2018. The American has not spoken publicly about his latest venture, but it has been confirmed by Dani Vallverdu. The current coach of Dimitrov.
“I thought having somebody like Andre around, who has known Grigor since he was a junior, would be an incredible asset to have.” Vallverdu said during an interview with ATP Tennis Radio.
“He’s someone that can help build that career we are looking.”
“I think he can bring a lot of things, not only on the court, but off the court too.” He added.
It is unclear as to how the future setup will look with Agassi been given the luxury of deciding how much time he wants to spend with Dimitrov. It is also unclear if a contract is in place between the two.
“It’s totally up to him. Grigor is very relaxed about it. He’s not asking for any commitment that Andre is uncomfortable with.“ Vallverdu explained.
“Obviously the more the better. We’re very thrilled to have him around. The last few weeks we have spent with him has been extremely productive and positive.”
The addition of Agassi comes at the end of what has been a roller coaster season for Dimitrov. The 27-year-old peaked at a high of 3rd in the world at the end of 2017 following his triumph at the ATP World Tour Finals. However, since then he has suffered a series of disappointing results. He hasn’t reached a semi-final on the tour since April and has only won back-to-back matches at two out of seven tournaments since June.
Despite the lull in form, Dimitrov’s head coach believes there is no need to panic. Insisting that they are currently in the process on working on the ‘long-term’ development of the Bulgarian.
“The last few months have been up and down. A couple of tough losses in Beijing and Vienna. We’re very committed to what we believe in and the type of work we need to do to keep getting better and trying to get that confidence back.” He said.
“We’re going through some changes that are going to be good for the longevity of his career. Not only for the beginning of next year, we are looking more long-term. We are trying to build him to be the best player he can be.”
Dimitrov is seeded ninth at this week’s Paris Masters in what is his final tournament of 2018. He will take on Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut in the first round. Should he suffer an early loss at the tournament, Dimitrov could finish the season ranked outside the top 20 for the first time since 2015.
