'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Fans were quick to react when Grigor Dimitrov was seen posing with Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump, following his quarterfinal win over Carlos Alcaraz at the 2024 Miami Open.
Dimitrov defeated Alcaraz 6-2, 6-4 in just over one and a half hours to move into the semifinals of the Miami 1000 tournament. This win will mark the Bulgarian's fourth semifinal appearance of the season in which he will play against Alexander Zverev for a spot in the final.
The quarterfinal match between Dimitrov and Alcaraz drew a star-studded crowd, including celebrities such as Ivanka Trump, NBA star Jimmy Butler, and former boxing champion Mike Tyson. Following the match, Dimitrov was seen posing for a photo with Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner.
While the presence of celebrities added glamour to the event, some tennis fans expressed disappointment and disapproval on social media over Dimitrov's photo op with Ivanka and Kushner.
One fan suggested a rematch to allow Carlos Alcaraz to emerge victorious, simply because they disapproved of Dimitrov associating with Ivanka Trump.
"… Can we replay the match and let Carlos win lol," A fan posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Another fan defended Grigor Dimitrov's actions, stating that the photo was bound to be clicked as the Bulgarian never says no to clicking pictures.
"Ijbol he’s not gonna say no to a photo pls," a fan posted.
One fan jokingly suggested that Grigor Dimitrov was being held hostage, leading to the unexpected photo with Ivanka Trump.
"Grigor, blink twice if you’re being held captive," the fan posted.
Here are a few more reactions from tennis fans:
Grigor Dimitrov on Carlos Alcaraz: "I love watching him playing, I love practicing against him, competing against him"
Following his win over Carlos Alcaraz at the 2024 Miami Open, during the post-match press conference, Grigor Dimitrov complimented his opponent. He revealed that he affectionately refers to the Spaniard as a "firecracker" and expressed his admiration for "playing," "practicing" and "competing" against him.
"Carlos is such -- you know, I always call him like a firecracker. He's amazing. I love watching him play. Honestly, I love watching him playing, I love practicing against him, competing against him. I mean, I'm 12 years older than him. It's honestly a lot of fun for me to challenge myself. It's a great opportunity for me," Grigor Dimitrov said.
Dimitrov also expressed pride in his performance during the match, stating that he was pleased with the way he played. He emphasized his satisfaction in delivering a "good" and "clean" performance on the court.
"I'm just very pleased that I was able to go through that match, you know, to go through it in such a manner, and I already have another match to play tomorrow. To be completely honest with you, everything kind of shifted already for tomorrow, but again, I'm very proud of myself that I was able to play such a good and clean match overall," he added.
Grigor Dimitrov has faced Alexander Zverev eight times on the ATP tour, with the German winning seven of those encounters.
