Grigor Dimitrov is enjoying a superb week at the Shanghai Masters, and he's withdrawn from the 2023 European Open in Antwerp because of it.
Dimitrov has quietly put together an amazing year so far nearing 40 wins which he didn't have since 2017. The Bulgarian to tallied 38 wins so far with the most recent coming over Nicolas Jarry which sent him to the Shanghai Masters semi-final.
It's his best result at the ATP 1000 level this year, and it's a rare chance for him to advance to the final of such an event. He already contested a final earlier this year but couldn't really get it done, so he hopes that this week concludes in the best way possible.
Obviously, as he continues to play in Shanghai, the amount of wear and tear on his body increases, making it a terrible choice if he would keep playing the following week.
The Antwerp European Open is coming up, and he was scheduled to play there, but he won't because of this amazing run that came out of nowhere. Even if he doesn't advance to the final, it would make very little sense to make the long trip back to Europe and start playing immediately
There is a very good chance that Dimitrov skips all events until the Paris Masters, and it's only likelier that that will happen if he goes all the way.
So far it's been going well as he bested a couple of good players and will take on Andrey Rublev for a spot in a final. They had some pretty good battles in the past, and Dimitrov actually won their most recent clash.
Considering how well he is playing right now, there is a chance that he actually wins that match and goes to the final which would be his best result in years.