Roger Federer doesn’t like Grigor Dimitrov having ‘Baby Fed’ nickname

Grigor Dimitrov has a style of game similar to Roger Federer, which has led to him receiving the nickname “Baby Fed.” But as we’ve found out recently, neither party is too fond of the name.

Federer beat Dimitrov 6-3, 7-6 in Basel last week for the first meeting between the two. After his win, Federer told reporters he hopes people will stop calling Dimitrov by that nickname.

“I hope people don’t call him Baby Fed so often anymore,” Federer told Swiss reporters after his victory, via The New York Times. “At first it’s funny, but it gets annoying.”

Was Federer saying that because he feels like Dimitrov has his own identity and doesn’t need to be nicknamed after another player? Or because Dimitrov isn’t even close to his level? Maybe it’s a bit of both.

Whatever the case, we know that Dimitrov also doesn’t like the nickname.

“All the comparisons, I think that I definitely want people to stop with that,” Dimitrov told CNN in May. “Of course we have some similarities here and there and I’m flattered to hear that. Actually I thought it was really cool at the beginning. But with time I’ve realized that I’m trying to build up my own style and when I’m on court to do my own shots.”

Dimitrov, who is also dating Maria Sharapova, is currently ranked No. 22 in the world. But keep in mind that the furthest the 22-year-old has reached in a grand slam is the third round. Federer was 22 when he won his first major and took off from there. Maybe Dimitrov will find similar form.

Racket clap to Beyond the Baseline