Agencies/Sofia
Rumours swirling about an alleged split between the highest-profile couple in tennis were confirmed yesterday when Grigor Dimitrov said that he and Maria Sharapova are no longer a couple.
Just a few weeks after the pair suffered devastating Wimbledon showings—world number two Sharapova lost for the 17th time to Serena Williams, while Dimitrov split with coach Roger Rasheed and lost in the third round to Richard Gasquet—the pair have gone their separate ways.
“Our paths split. We experienced wonderful moments together. I wish her much happiness and success in life and in tennis,” world number 16 Dimitrov told Bulgarian media.
“Now I’m concentrated entirely on the game and I’m sure the results will soon be seen... This is the summer of the new beginning for me,” the Bulgarian added.
According to website reports, Dimitrov may have blotted his copybook due to a rumoured Wimbledon fling with fellow Bulgarian and married, mother-of-one top model Nikoleta Lozanova, 2006 Bulgarian playmate of the year and wife of a footballer.
Like the 28-year-old Sharapova, whom he dated since 2012, Lovanova is also his senior, and will turn 28 in November.
All last week, Sharapova was prominent on social media sunning herself on a beach in Montenegro and touting sponsors including Porsche and Supergoop skin care.
Dimitrov has been reportedly linked to Ivan Lendl in the search for a coach to revive his flagging career at age 24.
Tennis' power couple—who now share homes in Florida and California—announced that they were an item in May 2013, and the duo are said to have been dating since early that year. In fact, Russian Sharapova consistently raised speculation that they were engaged to be married in 2015 when she wore a ring on her fourth finger and gushed endlessly about the romance.
She said of the bond in May: "It's nice to have someone who really understands and respects (what I do) and knows the drill. There are so many little variants in an athlete's career that are not always easy to explain to the outside world. So it is nice that they are aware of it and know it."
It's not Grigor's first relationship within the tennis world nevertheless. Dimitrov earlier dated Serena, but the relationship ended in the later part of 2012.
Sharapova's dating history is also similarly sporty because she previously enjoyed an early romance with American tennis star Andy Roddick. She then had a two-year liaison with basketball player Sasha Vujacic, to whom she became engaged, before they split up, citing the pressures of their respective schedules.
Following that, she shared a very public relationship with Maroon 5 singer Adam Levine who reportedly said that she was a huge disappointment as a lover.
