site.btaGrigor Dimitrov Returns to Bulgaria Davis Cup Team after 11 Years

Grigor Dimitrov has been named to Bulgaria's Davis Cup team for the first time since 2015 for the World Group I tie away to Denmark in Copenhagen on September 18 and 19, the Bulgarian Tennis Federation (BTF) confirmed on Tuesday.

The 35-year-old Dimitrov will be Bulgaria's No. 1 player for the tie. His previous Davis Cup appearance came in Bulgaria's 5-0 victory over Luxembourg in 2015.

"Grigor Dimitrov is in the squad and we hope he will play," BTF President Ivan Tikov told a news conference in Sofia. He thanked Dimitrov and his team for expressing a willingness to join the national side.

Tikov said Dimitrov's presence would provide additional motivation for Bulgaria's predominantly young team. He described him as a living legend of Bulgarian and world tennis and highlighted his many years competing at the highest level.

Tikov also pointed to the experience Bulgaria's younger players have gained from three ATP Challenger 50 tournaments held in Plovdiv, saying the events had given them opportunities to compete internationally on home soil and should help them ahead of the Denmark tie.

Stefani Gacheva, who is responsible for the team's organizational arrangements, said preparations were proceeding according to plan and the first players would leave for Denmark on Saturday.

Iliyan Radulov and Petr Nesterov will be among the first to travel, together with 2025 Wimbledon and US Open junior champion Ivan Ivanov, who will be a reserve.

Captain Valentin Dimov's squad also includes Alexander Donski and Alexander Vasilev. Dimov said all the players were physically fit and ready for the tie, which will be played on a hard court.

He described Dimitrov's inclusion as "great news", saying the experience of a player with such a long and successful career at the highest level would provide important support to Bulgaria's young team.