Grigor Dimitrov admits fearing for his life when he contracted Covid-19

"The thing is real, the virus and how everything is handled," he told Sky Sports.

The Adria Tour, co-organised by world number one Novak Djokovic, saw its final cancelled after Dimitrov confirmed he had tested positive for the virus.

The Bulgarian explained: "I was active all my life and then suddenly I was forced to be shut down, just physically, so it's like you're taking my wings away.

"But somehow I found a way to try and understand what is going on and the more I thought about it things are happening at a basic rate so if we are careful, we do the right things, things will be alright we have to absolutely respect the process of what is going on.

"I really didn't feel well. I had very different symptoms with not being able to taste any food that I was eating and my smell was gone. I'm not even 100 per cent back to myself in those departments but at least I'm trying to get there every day.

"I was just not active. I was fearing my body shutting down which is the biggest fear for any athlete."

Dimitrov, 29, is not sure whether he will participate in this year's US Open which is due to start at the end of August. Defending champion Rafael Nadal withdrew from this year's Slam on Tuesday.

Djokovic is heading up the men's entrants alongside No. 3 Dominic Thiem, No. 5 Daniil Medvedev, No. 6 Stefanos Tsitsipas, No. 7 Alexander Zverev, No. 8 Matteo Berrettini and No. 10 David Goffin.

"Right now I'm very uncertain I'll be completely honest," he said.

"I thought about it and I keep thinking about it every single day. I feel like there are so many questions I have to ask and there are so few answers.

"I've had it, so I know what it is. For Europeans, it's hard because you have got to travel about 12 hours to get to New York and take a couple of planes, then get to a hotel, and the bubble is a bubble, but I mean statistically we're like over a thousand people in the same place and it's just not easy.

"I hope nobody gets it but if somebody gets it things are going to look a little more complicated.

"Even if we have agreements from governments with quarantine and everything, we just never know what will happen from one day to another so it puts a lot of limitations on the schedule and yourself because you want to complete."