Ivanov Joins Wimbledon Men’s Draw

Bulgarian tennis rising star Ivan Ivanov, 16, will compete in next year’s Wimbledon men’s singles, using the right he earned by winning the Wimbledon Junior Championships on July 13. He is only the second Bulgarian to achieve this, after Grigor Dimitrov in 2008.

At a welcome event at the Bulgarian National Tennis Centre, Ivanov was met by young tennis players who gifted him a national flag. “Only in my wildest dreams did I imagine winning Wimbledon,” he said, calling it a unique success but just the beginning of his journey, CE Report quotes BTA

Ivanov, who trains at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Spain, received congratulatory calls from both Dimitrov and Rafael Nadal. Nadal even suggested they play a match when Ivanov returns to Spain.

Ivanov will represent Bulgaria in the Davis Cup in September and is preparing for the US Open and the junior finals in Chengdu. He emphasized his love for the game and his desire to inspire more Bulgarian children to take up tennis.

“I play for the joy and for the Bulgarian flag,” Ivanov said. “I hope my success shows others the path to becoming professionals.”