During the Miami Open, two spectators in VIP seats were removed from the stadium following a confrontation with Grigor Dimitrov.
The incident occurred during the semi-final match on Friday, where Bulgarian tennis star Grigor Dimitrov was playing against Novak Djokovic.
The match was paused early on because Dimitrov was being heckled by spectators.
As Djokovic prepared to serve at 1-1 in the first set, Dimitrov became visibly distracted and annoyed by comments from the VIP section of the crowd at Hard Rock Stadium.
Dimitrov, ranked No. 15 in the world, approached the side of the court and engaged in a heated discussion with the spectator who had been shouting.
Clearly upset by the behavior, Dimitrov argued with the fan before taking a moment to compose himself with a towel.
The umpire intervened swiftly. Greg Allensworth descended from his chair and contacted Gerry Armstrong via radio to request security assistance.
Allensworth assured Dimitrov that security would handle the heckler during the changeover after Djokovic`s service game.
Play resumed with Djokovic holding serve, and as the players took their seats, two disruptive individuals were escorted out.
Tennis fans in the stadium booed and jeered as the pair were removed, and then cheered as they left the stands.
A social media user captured the initial confrontation with Dimitrov and the subsequent ejection of the spectators, commenting on the disruptive fan and expressing satisfaction at their removal.
Sky Sports commentator Colin Fleming also voiced his disapproval during the live broadcast, questioning why anyone would attend a match only to heckle a player, emphasizing that such behavior is unacceptable in tennis and sports in general.
Dimitrov ultimately lost the match 6-2, 6-3 to Djokovic, who advanced to the final against Jakub Mensik.
Aside from the heckling incident, Dimitrov`s Miami Open semi-final journey included another notable fan interaction. He participated in a social media event where he rode a cable car over the stadium with two fans.
During the ride, the fans playfully inquired about which player Dimitrov would marry. When he dodged the question, they playfully pressed him to suggest a player he would consider dating.
When one of the fans mentioned Maria Sharapova as her favorite player, Dimitrov humorously revealed, “She was my ex-girlfriend.”
The fan apologized for bringing up the topic, but Dimitrov responded with laughter.
