Grigor o vezi sa Masom
Shanghai, October 2012.
Dimitrov was there preparing for a tournament. He was out to grab a bite to eat when he noticed a tennis match on television. It was the quarterfinals in Beijing, and Sharapova was playing.
"We had always flirted, you know. Given each other looks here and there. But that day, I just thought she was so beautiful. So I emailed her."
Must've been one helluva note.
At the time, Dimitrov was No. 60 in the world without a title to his name. Sharapova, on the other hand, had just completed the career Slam after winning the French a few months earlier. When you look at it that way, the phrase "she was out of his league" sounds less like a cliché and more like common sense.
But it's working.
And one can't help notice the timing between their dating and his rise.
"People who think I'm the reason why he's playing so well do not give him enough credit," Sharapova said. "He's extremely talented, and he's successful all on his own. I just try to be there to support him."
But in keeping with the rationale that led him to sign with Federer's Team8 agency -- despite not liking the comparisons to him -- Dimitrov said being in a relationship with one of the best has taught him what it takes to be the best.
"She is so professional. She knows where she's supposed to be and what's expected of her at appearances, and she balances that so well with doing what it takes to be a great, great player. She's just an amazing person."
He moved into her L.A. home last year although, because of the nomadic lifestyle of professional tennis, the two are just as apt to see each other in another country as they are in Southern California. And when they do end up playing in the same tournament, they do not room together.
"It would be tough because our schedules are still so different," he said. "Like if one of us has a match that goes late and the other is in bed sleeping because we have an early practice or appearance, that makes it tough."
Plus Dimitrov enjoys his alone time.
"I can take five showers in one day," he said. "I don't like taking showers in the locker room after a match. Not because I'm uncomfortable being naked around other people, I just like quiet and taking my time. Letting the water wash my thoughts away. And I take so many because I like being clean and well-groomed.
"I get manicures and pedicures because I don't want to be one of those guys with messed-up hands and feet. I'm serious. Tennis players have the ugliest feet. I didn't want to be that guy with the messed-up feet."
A i o Sereni. Stvarno su bili u vezi a ja mislila da je to bio samo trac
What doesn't come across is the "black heart" many people assumed that Serena Williams -- who dated Dimitrov before Sharapova did -- was referring to in a Rolling Stone story that sparked a testy catfight at Wimbledon.
In the piece, Williams, in a conversation with her sister Venus, is reported to have said, "She's still not going to be invited to the cool parties. And, hey, if she wants to be with the guy with a black heart, go for it." To which Sharapova responded at a pre-tournament presser: "If she wants to talk about something personal, maybe she should talk about her relationship and her boyfriend that was married and is getting a divorce and has kids."
When you think about it, the All England club was the perfect location to reboot the Williams-Sharapova rivalry, considering it was there, back in 2004, where Sharapova upset Williams for the title, that their beef began.
For those who like quirky numbers, here's a tidbit: For nine consecutive years, Forbes has named Sharapova the highest-paid female athlete in the world. And for 10 consecutive years, she has lost to Williams each time they have played each other.
Not counting the unofficial battle for Dimitrov, of course.
"I don't think Serena meant that in the way people think," he said about the "black heart" quote. "She knows I'm not a bad person. Things just didn't -- I don't know, they didn't work out.
"I learned a lot from that relationship. I don't want to get into why it didn't work out; that's private. But I will say that I don't hold any ill feelings toward her and I wish her nothing but happiness."
As to why he would date both given their rivalry.
"I wasn't thinking about their history, because it didn't have anything to do with me."
http://espn.go.com/tennis/french14/story/_/id/10978322/rise-grigor-dimitrov