Grigor Dimitrov's reality check for whinging tennis stars

Bulgarian tennis star Grigor Dimitrov has hit back at his fellow opponents calling for softer quarantine standards, with the world No. 19 declaring that "some sort of sacrifice" must be made by everyone.

Dimitrov is no stranger to the virus after he tested positive to COVID-19 during his appearance last year at Novak Djokovic's controversial exhibition event, the Adria Tour.

Dimitrov, Djokovic and his wife were among many who tested positive at the event which had little COVID-19 biosecurity measures put in place as Europe was battling the pandemic.

With the Australian Open scheduled for February 8, Tennis Australia officials and the Victorian state government have been busy knocking back requests for softer quarantine protocols, with Djokovic even issuing a set of \ as a number of players spoke out against being confined to their hotel rooms.

However, Dimitrov, who said he understood the argument his fellow players were making, admitted it was more important to remember "what's happening outside of tennis".

"Everybody wants to get the best way to prepare for a slam. We can sit here and criticise but it won't help, it is what it is," he told Nine News.

"It's an authority above us that we have no voice on and no power.

"Tennis Australia has done such an incredible job to schedule the upcoming events in the middle of a pandemic. They've done such a great job

"You can have your own opinion for so many different things but you can't forget what's going on around the world what's happening outside of tennis

"We're a sport that needs to be outside, practising and all these things. But it's the circumstance. We all have to, to some certain extent, make some sort of sacrifice.

"It could happen to anyone. Last year I got this virus, and I was home for three weeks."

Dimitrov also opened up on his battle with coronavirus, revealing he questioned whether making a quick return to the court was the right decision.

"It was not a good time for me when I got it. It put so many things in such a different perspective for me," he added.

"I was thinking, should it take a longer break instead of putting myself in danger again and contracting the virus?"

"It was a big adjustment at the beginning. Slowly but surely, I felt I was progressing and moving through how I wanted to live.

"I could get it again. I could get stuck somewhere again.

"We're not out of danger yet, we need to be respectable and 100 per cent accountable for our actions."

The former world No. 3 admitted his "physicality" was hit the hardest as he ultimately lost weight and was forced to "rebuild" his health.

"The first days were the hardest and toughest for me. I let my physicality drop, it took me a month to get back to some sort of level," Dimitrov said.

"I had to do stress tests. My cardio dropped a lot. My muscles, I lost quite a bit of weight.

"It wasn't that bad, but as an athlete, it takes so much time to rebuild and regather your strength. I've never been sick-sick, and I've never had a major injury.

"I was physically good, but my health was not on a good level."