Maria Sharapova not engaged to boyfriend Grigor Dimitrov

Maria Sharapova says she is not engaged to boyfriend Grigor Dimitrov, contrary to what a gossip report speculated last week.

The Daily Mail shared a photo last week of Sharapova with a ring on her ring finger and speculated that she might be engaged to Dimitrov, who is the No. 29 ranked male tennis player in the world. The report was a huge stretch because the ring on her finger looked NOTHING like an engagement ring. Still, there was enough substance behind the report that Larry King asked Sharapova whether she was engaged during an interview this week.

“No, not that I know of,” Sharapova said on “Larry King Now.” “Not that I know of. No, I’m not engaged. I am dating him. He is a good player. I’ve known him for many years on the tour. I’m not engaged, no.”

Sharapova discussed many other interesting topics during the interview. She said she avoids locker room friendships because she competes against the players and wants to have that edge against them. She also said she thinks she’s won a lot of matches because of her mental toughness.

And what about the rivalry with Serena Williams that seemed to flare up around Wimbledon? Sharapova says there is no grudge between them and that the media has overplayed things.

King also asked Sharapova about what happened with Jimmy Connors. Sharapova abruptly fired Connors as her coach after just two matches together, days after praising the legend.

”It was just not the right fit, wrong timing with my injury with everything going on,” said Sharapova. “It was just not the right time for it.”

Sharapova was referring to an recurring shoulder injury that kept her out of the US Open. There is nothing concrete to explain what happened, but my guess is Connors did not understand the severity of Sharapova’s injury and questioned her toughness. That’s just my guess.

Racket clap to Beyond the Baseline