Roger Federer
Valentine’s Day inspires an outbreak of romances around the world and tennis has had some famous couples who have captured the headlines over the years.
From American great Jimmy Connor’s relationship with fellow tennis legend Chris Evert in the 1970s to Andre Agassi’s successful marriage to Steffi Graf, tennis has captured the attention of gossip writers as well as sports writers.
Conners and Evert were two of the most talked about stars in tennis, so the flashbulbs went into overdrive when they started a romantic relationship in the late 1970s.
In the end, the pressure on their relationship was too much, with Connors revealing details of their split in his autobiography.
“We were not even married yet and the tension was already building,” Connors wrote. “I was in Chrissie’s corner, rooting for her, and she was treating me like some sort of, well, househusband. You know how it is, guys: You can’t do anything right. I needed to eat before my matches and I wanted to see her play.”
He went on to say: “Chrissie’s mood swings could drive anyone crazy, but that didn’t change the fact that I loved her. No one is perfect, I told myself. I was no prize, either; she had to put up with a lot, too. Did I just say that?
“The question was, could my patience, which was thin at the best of times, cope with so much drama? I convinced myself it could.”
John Lloyd and Chris Evert
British No 1 John Lloyd dated Evert after Conners and the couple took their relationship to the next level as they got married.
Yet Lloyd told Tennis365 last year that the pressure on their relationship due to their celebrity status was too much.
“I think if we were married 10 years later, I think we might have had a shot, but we were both too young,” Lloyd told us.
“You are on the road a lot as a tennis player. For Chris and I, we were on different circuits, away from the Slam events and spending time apart is not a natural thing. I think that’s half the reason we fell away by the wayside.
“We gave it a decent shot, but it didn’t work out. It was fine. We didn’t have any children and maybe that was for the best.
“She has since had three children and I’ve had two. We’ve had a different life since. Ironically we now live 20 minutes away from each other. We see each other occasionally and it’s fine.”
Two of the greatest players of all-time found love at the back end of their tennis careers and they have gone on to enjoy one of the great romances in the sport’s history.
“I had a crush on Steffi since I first saw her doing an interview on French TV,” he wrote in his autobiography. “I was thunderstruck, dazzled by her understated grace, her effortless beauty.”
The couple got married in 2001 and have two children, with their greatest success being the Academies they have opened for underprivileged kids across America.
The couple have now overseen the opening of over 130 schools, which is a source of great pride for Agassi.
“I started thinking about kids who don’t have a choice in their lives because they don’t have a quality education,” Agassi told Tennis365. “Sometimes, you’re not as lucky as I was, being at the top of a sport. We are in a position to help and this is a great chance for us to help kids that need it.”
Roger Federer and Mirka Vavrincova
Federer’s loyal wife Mirka was a fine tennis player in her youth and reached a career-high ranking of No 76 in singles.
She went on to be a familiar face to tennis fans around the world thanks to her union with Federer, with Roger often hailing her input into his success.
“I would like to especially thank my amazing wife Mirka, who has lived through every minute with me. She has warmed me up before finals,” he wrote in his retirement announcement.
“She watched countless matches even while over 8 months pregnant, and endured my goofy side on the road with my team for over 20 years.”
One of the current golden couples of tennis gained plenty of attention as local hero De Minaur pressed for glory at last month’s Australian Open.
Glamorous British No 1 Boulter has admitted her man is a little shy in front of the cameras, but she thinks they are great for each other.
“I think it’s awesome that he’s getting the attention that he really does deserve,” said Boulter last month. “He’s put the work in for it. He’s playing some of the best tennis of his life.
“It really does fill me with a lot of pride to actually watch him at this moment because I know everything that he’s been through, how hard and how strong he is with everything he does.
“I think he’s really rubbed off on me in so many different ways: the way he holds himself, the way he works.
“Having his expertise on the side, it’s great for me because it’s a support. It’s someone that I can talk to about anything, including everything to do with my career.
“To have that extra support, it does make a huge difference and I feel like it’s showing.”
Stefanos Tsitsipas and Paula Badosa
The golden couple of the current tennis set-up have become a social media hit as their romance flourished.
With both players operating at the top of the game and keen to share their story, ‘Tsitsidosa’ has become a story that has commanded plenty of coverage in the last year.
“I feel happy and content,” Tsitsipas said last summer.
“I haven’t really felt that type of connection with anyone before. I don’t mean to sound cringe or anything because that’s the reality and that’s what I am faced with. I am extremely blessed and happy that this came at this phase of my life.
“I get to do what I love and I get to do it with someone who completely understands me and gets it. I have been very interested in her mind more than anything else.
“Of course there is attraction but it’s also sometimes just a soul interaction and getting to fall in love with her mind. It’s very rare that these things happen.
“It’s like we share the same identity: same lifestyle, same desires, same passions, same ambitions. It’s the same. It’s wonderful to be a part of it and to experience it every day.”
Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina
French star Monfils and Ukrainian Svitolina are balancing the challenge of a marriage and a young child while continuing to play top level tennis around the world.
“We have a full-time nanny for Skai,” said Svitolina, as she revealed her childcare plans.
“So, she has enough people looking after her so that we can focus on tennis. And then, when we are back home, we enjoy family time.
“As all parents know, when you have your own child, you have to put other events on hold if they are sick. For a tennis player that might even mean tournaments.
“These are the things you would not think about when you don’t have a child. If a member of the team gets sick you just go anyway. Of course, it’s very different when it is your child.”
