NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Sport / Tennis / Australian Open

Tennis: Maria Sharapova and Grigor Dimitrov enjoy playful exchange at Kooyong Classic in Melbourne

news.com.au
15 Jan, 2020 03:04 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Grigor Dimitrov and Maria Sharapova had a hilarious court-side exchange. Photo / Supplied

Grigor Dimitrov and Maria Sharapova had a hilarious court-side exchange. Photo / Supplied

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

They may have broken up but we know who still wears the pants in the relationship between Maria Sharapova and Grigor Dimitrov.

The tennis stars used to date, going public in 2013 before breaking up in 2015, and enjoyed a reunion yesterday at the Kooyong Classic in Melbourne.

Sharapova slipped into the SBS commentary booth at the tournament that acts as a precursor to next week's Australian Open when she and the broadcasters alongside her received an unexpected visit.

"He keeps looking over. Can you tell him to stop looking?" Sharapova said before Dimitrov wandered over to join the party.

"What is the commentary here?" he asked before the professionals told the Bulgarian they were discussing him, sparking a playful episode with his former flame that focused on his yellow shorts.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

This is how it unfolded:

Sharapova: "What about this yellow thing going on?"

Dimitrov: "You like it, huh?"

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Sharapova: "Not really."

Dimitrov: "Really?"

Sharapova: "No, not really."

Dimitrov: "I thought you liked yellow on me but that's okay. People change, I get it."

Discover more

Tennis

'Next Roger Federer' lives up to the hype at ASB Classic

13 Jan 08:30 AM
Tennis

ASB Classic second seed Denis Shapovalov learning to ignore the hype

14 Jan 01:54 AM
Australian Open

'Awful scenes': Smoke causes Aussie Open chaos

14 Jan 04:21 AM
Tennis

'It's not fair': Smoke continues to play havoc at Aussie Open

14 Jan 11:44 PM

Everyone was laughing the whole way before Sharapova was quizzed about when the pair split up.

"It's been a while," she chuckled.

Maria Sharapova and Grigor Dimitrov split in 2015. Photo / Getty Images
Maria Sharapova and Grigor Dimitrov split in 2015. Photo / Getty Images

Dimitrov has dated pop star Nicole Scherzinger while Sharapova is with British millionaire Alexander Gilkes.

SHARAPOVA: RIGHT CALL TO ABANDON MATCH

Sharapova, meanwhile, has said it was the "right call" to abandon her match at Kooyong as smoke from raging bushfires engulfed Melbourne on Tuesday.

The Russian five-time grand slam winner was 6-7 (4-7) 5-5 down against Germany's Laura Siegemund when the umpire called a halt, saying "the players are feeling the smoke".

Pollution has soared to hazardous levels in Melbourne, suspending practice for next week's Australian Open and delaying qualifying where one player was forced out with a coughing fit.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Sharapova, who described the conditions as "extreme", said she could feel "a bit of a cough coming out through the end of the second set".

Maria Sharapova of Russia and Laura Siegemund of Germany congratulate each other as the game is called off after both players are affected by smoke. Photo / Getty Images
Maria Sharapova of Russia and Laura Siegemund of Germany congratulate each other as the game is called off after both players are affected by smoke. Photo / Getty Images

"Then the umpire came down and said, 'Play one more game'. We were there for over two hours. From the whole standpoint, it was the right call."

Siegemund, ranked 72nd, said she felt the effects of the unusual conditions. "It's the first time I'm playing under these conditions and I do have to say that I felt it in the second set," she told reporters.

"You can see it, I guess it's in your head and I did feel it in my body.

"I guess if they want us to play under these conditions, everyone has to deal with it in their own way, but it certainly doesn't feel like it's the healthiest conditions to play in."

Sharapova has slipped to 145th in the world after a 2019 season ruined by the injury which limited her to 15 competitive matches.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The 32-year-old, who has been handed a wildcard for the Australian Open next week, said she was glad for the workout at Kooyong.

"Definitely a frustrating year last year and not a lot of tennis played, so getting these types of matches is incredibly important when you haven't played much," she said.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Australian Open

Australian Open

Sabalenka appears to mock-urinate on Australian Open runner-up trophy

27 Jan 03:00 AM
Australian Open

Watch: Zverev heckled over domestic abuse allegations after final

26 Jan 04:26 PM
Australian Open

Sinner joins tennis greats after retaining Australian Open title

26 Jan 04:02 PM

Kaibosh gets a clean-energy boost in the fight against food waste

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Australian Open

Sabalenka appears to mock-urinate on Australian Open runner-up trophy

Sabalenka appears to mock-urinate on Australian Open runner-up trophy

27 Jan 03:00 AM

The Belarusian was defeated by Madison Keys for the women's singles title.

Watch: Zverev heckled over domestic abuse allegations after final

Watch: Zverev heckled over domestic abuse allegations after final

26 Jan 04:26 PM
Sinner joins tennis greats after retaining Australian Open title

Sinner joins tennis greats after retaining Australian Open title

26 Jan 04:02 PM
Premium
Paul Lewis: The case for axing banal sports interviews

Paul Lewis: The case for axing banal sports interviews

26 Jan 02:00 AM
Engage and explore one of the most remote places on Earth in comfort and style
sponsored

Engage and explore one of the most remote places on Earth in comfort and style

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP