Grigor Dimitrov immediately raised injury fears after storming back to beat Alejandro Tabilo at the Laver Cup.
Trailing 1-5 in the second set, the world No. 10 won five games in a row and eventually came through 7-6(4) 7-6(2). But he appeared to be physically hampered and confessed that his body was “struggling” moments after giving Team Europe the lead.
It comes days after he beat Novak Djokovic in a hilarious exhibition match where both men treated the crowd to a striptease.
Dimitrov was drafted into Team Europe as a last-minute substitution when Rafael Nadal pulled out last week. The 33-year-old raced to Berlin after hosting Djokovic in an exhibition match in Sofia.
The Bulgarian had only played the Laver Cup once before and won his only match in 2018. And he earned another point for Team Europe on Friday as he beat tournament debutant Tabilo in a tight two-setter.
Dimitrov needed two hours and 17 minutes to get the job done and appeared to be wincing towards the end of the match despite storming back to get it done in straights. And he quickly admitted there were some concerns.
“Well, let’s see. We’re going to reassess now. It’s a bit difficult when you’re warm. There were a few callings that I was not happy with so I’m just going to have a quick look, hopefully it’s nothing too serious,” Dimitrov said during his on-court interview.
The world No. 10 retired from his most recent official tour-level match in the quarter-final of the US Open. At the time, he admitted it was a combination of physical issues rather than one specific injury. And he raised fears over whether he could finish the season properly.
Dimitrov continued: “But the body has been struggling, I’m not going to lie. I feel like I’m playing great tennis but my body is not allowing me to kind of push through a little bit more. I know it’s end of the season but I’m still very excited.
“So I just want to do the best that I can physically to put myself in that position, play in front of you guys and hopefully push to the end of the year.”
For now, it remains to be seen whether Dimitrov will be able to play another match for Team Europe this weekend, be it singles or doubles. But the 33-year-old has already had his one required singles outing and is happy to keep coaching his teammates and cheering them on from the bench.
“I’m ready for it. Of course it’s for the boys if they want me or not but I’m all in, I just love when we’re in the team competition,” he smiled.
