"Anybody that can date Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams, you got to respect" - Grigor Dimitrov could've been Agassi-like star, says Chris Evert's ex
Former British No. 1 John Lloyd believes Grigor Dimitrov had the chance to attain Andre Agassi and Bjorn Borg's level of crossover stardom given his high-profile relationships with Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams.
Lloyd, who was married to Chris Evert between 1979 and 1987, recently spoke about the importance of players who gained recognition not only within the tennis community but also beyond it.
"I’m just looking at it from a media side, we need people like that. To me, it just makes our sport, it just goes above the level that its at and you get superstars that, people that don’t even particularly like tennis know, like Agassi, he was a crossover star," he said on the latest episode of the 'Rock n Roll Tennis' podcast.
Lloyd suggested that Grigor Dimitrov possessed the qualities required to achieve Agassi and Borg's level of fame. However, he believes Dimitrov was held back by his lack of sufficient success on the tour.
"One who could have been in that Agassi-Borg ilk but he hasn’t won enough but if he’d won enough, he could’ve been, is Grigor Dimitrov. He does have a lot of personality and he’s very charismatic, he’s a good looking guy, he’s funny, he’s got a good sense of humor," he said.
Lloyd claimed that Dimitrov's popularity received a boost from his relationships with tennis superstars Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams, as well as American popstar Nicole Scherzinger. However, the Bulgarian's tennis prowess wasn't good enough to propel him into the next level of stardom, according to Lloyd.
"He’s had a few high-profile relationships. I mean, anybody that can date Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams, you’ve got to respect that. Holy cow, that’s a pretty big duo and then of course he was with Nicole Scherzinger. He’s kind of flirted with it but he’s not a good enough player to make that next jump," he added.
Grigor Dimitrov is now in a relationship with actress Madalina Ghenea, who is frequently spotted cheering on the Bulgarian from the stands.
"I remember John McEnroe saying Grigor Dimitrov needs to keep away from that show business lifestyle if he wants to start winning" - John Lloyd's podcast co-host
During the same episode, John Lloyd's podcast co-host Keith Fraser recalled John McEnroe's advice for Grigor Dimitrov. McEnroe reportedly felt the Bulgarian had to steer clear of the show business lifestyle in order to find success on the tour.
"I remember John McEnroe saying that Dimitrov needs to keep away from that show business lifestyle if he wants to start winning because he’s good enough to do so," Fraser said.
Fraser also suggested that a player's stardom was predicated on their image rather than just their personality, citing Bjorn Borg and Andre Agassi as examples.
"But I think it’s a lot to do with image. I mean, Bjorn Borg wasn’t the greatest personality ever, but he had his flowing gold locks and he was good looking. Agassi had the punk image," he added.
In other news, Dimitrov recently pulled out of the 2023 Canadian Open after suffering a back injury. His most recent appearance on the tour came in the semifinals of the 2023 Citi Open, where he was defeated by eventual champion Dan Evans.