A look at what Dimitrov's success means for Bulgaria

A behind-the-scenes feature starring Grigor Dimitrov takes fans inside the meaning of his title run in Sofia, Bulgaria last week. The Bulgarian brought pride, excitement and hope for his small country, which had waited a long time to see their biggest tennis star compete at home.

"He’s an absolute hero here," journalist Emil Evtimov said. "He’s really an inspiration for tennis players here."

Dimitrov won the final over David Goffin, who had this to say about his eventual conqueror: "Grigor is playing well for the moment, and I'm sure he's going to manage the pressure really well."

Dimitrov, a former world No. 8, is off to a roaring start in 2017, winning his first title of the season in Brisbane, and then making it to the semifinals of the Australian Open. It was there that he had one of the most memorable matches of the tournament against Rafael Nadal.

"I was pouring tears in the locker room. I was replaying the match at least twenty times…" Dimitrov said. "But then I kind of realized, alright you got that far, so lets get on with it, that’s the next step."

Though the loss was disappointing for Dimitrov, it united everyone back home.

"There was a joke in social media when he played in Rafael Nadal in the semifinals that in Bulgaria today no one is working except Grigor Dimitrov…” Evtimov said. "Everybody is now a tennis fan in Bulgaria, it’s really great."