'He Has Maria Sharapova For A Girfriend,' Says Novak Djokovic On Why Grigor Dimitrov Shouldn't Feel Bad Not Qualifying In London
Novak Djokovic has gone over why Grigor Dimitrov shouldn't feel bad for not being able to qualify at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London. The season-ending tournament, which is currently underway, features the top eight players on tour. Dimitrov has ranked 11th in Emirates ATP Race to London Rankings.
According to a report by ESPN, many people felt sympathy for the Bulgarian for not making it in the top eight after his great run in 2014. Dimitrov is 50-18 this season. He has won three titles in Acapulco, Bucharest, and Queen's Club. He also achieved his career-high rank at the eighth spot in ATP world rankings in August.
However, the World No. 1 said in an interview after his win over Marin Cilic on Nov. 11 that Dimitrov shouldn't feel bad about himself even if he missed the qualification for the World Tour Finals in London. He outlined several reasons why it is okay that Dimitrov didn't qualify London.
"He's got a lot of talent, he's good-looking, he speaks good English," Djokovic said. "He has Maria Sharapova for a girlfriend, what more can you ask for?"
Djokovic added that the Bulgarian athlete is a very great person. He said that Dimitrov is a very good tennis player and has the potential to win a Grand Slam trophy soon.
Dimitrov would have been the second alternate behind David Ferrer in the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, but he refused to play in the tournament. Dimitrov told French media L'Equipe that he wants to earn his way to play in the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. Dimitrov said he wants to go to London because he deserved to be there and not hoping that some other player gets injured during the course of the tournament. Ferrer has accepted the first alternate spot, while Feliciano Lopez accepted the second alternate in London.
Meanwhile, Djokovic will play his second match at the O2 Arena. He will play against reigning Australian Open champion Stanislas Wawrinka on November 13. Djokovic leads their head-to-head record 15-2. They last played in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open in January, where the Swiss earned his second victory over the Serb, 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 9-7.