As the 2025 season gets started, and in honor of Valentine’s Day, we’re taking a look at romance on the pro tour. While we wish all tennis players the best and hope they find happiness, this group of players may have already found the perfect match.
Quick aside: No one really knows for sure why ‘love’ means zero in tennis. Theories include a mispronunciation of "l'oeuf” or egg in French, as the shape of an egg resembles zero. Some think it comes from the notion of ‘playing for love,’ meaning playing for nothing other than a love of the game. But neither explanation holds up to academic scrutiny. Like love itself, it remains a mystery.
Who’s dating who in professional tennis can be equally mysterious, but there are clues. Who’s watching whose matches? Which players are following (or unfollowing) each other on Instagram? Tennis players are notoriously career focused and single-minded, but they are human after all. It’s inevitable that sparks will fly when people are thrown together all the time. Tennis relationships are really a form of ‘office romance,’ if you think about it. People meet through work. Add in the fact this particular group of coworkers is young and gorgeous…
While tennis couples are nothing new—think Chris Evert and Jimmy Connors, Steffi Graff and Andre Agassi, social media has granted fans more access to the goings on. Players can choose to share more about their personal lives online. Many pros post about their relationships, their engagements, their weddings, their gowns. Thanks, Marta Kostyuk--and Wilson--for the tennis wedding dress inspo. And what a joy to see the friendships on display in the photos as well. Check out Jessica Pegula and her pals looking lovely and singing along to ‘Unwritten’ at Madison Keys’ recent wedding. It’s great to see the players all dressed up and sharing in each other’s happiness. We’re so used to seeing them in competitive mode, this is a wonderful change. Tennis friends are the real thing, as we all know.
But what about tennis romances? What’s it really like dating on tour? Andrea Petkovic, former German pro and current analyst for the Tennis Channel, wrote a blog about tennis tour relationships providing insights only a player could know. She said while tennis pros are often together during the year at various tournaments, they also must spend a lot of time apart. Schedules are determined by individual factors—ranking points, titles to defend, and injury setbacks. Of course, the WTA and ATP tours often host their own separate tournaments. Even if players are in the same event, competition itself can take a toll on courtship, Petkovic adds.
“It's not easy dating a tennis player,” she writes. “They travel up to forty weeks a year, they are self-absorbed, they will blame every loss on a text message you sent or the way you breathed in the player’s box or just in general: on your existence. Is it still worth it?” You’ll have to read her blog, Finite Jest, for her thoughtful answer. But obviously, despite the challenges, lots of players are saying yes to tennis relationships. These current power couples are crushing it on court and off. The IT couple at the Australian Open, Aussie Alex de Minaur and Brit Katie Boulter announced their engagement via Instagram in December. The photo is a close-up of their happy faces, with her arm casually flung around his neck, placing her hand front and center. Yes, we see that gorgeous emerald cut engagement ring—couldn’t miss it! The caption on Boulter’s Insta page reads, “we’ve been keeping a small secret.” Well, the secret’s out and the tennis world is super happy for the cute couple. Fans do know the couple has been dating for years, although the pair tried to keep that under wraps at first, too. They would purposely eat at separate tables at tournaments to avoid speculation. In a video posted last year, Bolter and De Minaur also shared that they talked about keeping tennis the top priority in their lives, even as their relationship intensified. It worked—both have moved up the rankings dramatically. Double win!
Ok, so Paula Badosa and Stephanos Tsitsipas are adorable together. I know this because I just watched a Tennis Channel travel vlog that documents their recent trip to Iceland. The two ride horses, go snowshoeing, whale watching, visit an icy waterfall and appear to be thoroughly enjoying themselves the entire time. Even without any ‘glam’ at all, they look amazing in their winter gear. Both are so natural and likable in front of the camera--the viewer feels happily included on their trip. (They are speaking English although she’s Spanish and he’s from Greece.) Not a teachy documentary, it’s just a fun hang in an amazing setting. And now that I’ve seen it, I’ll be officially sad if they break up again. The couple has been on and off since the world learned of their relationship in 2023, dubbing them Tsitsidosa and following their journey on social media. The two even joke now about how they aren’t really a couple—it’s all for the travel show. But given how very affectionate and sweet they are, I’d say it’s definitely on again. He sincerely encourages her to break the top ten this season and she suggests he’s related to a puffin—even he acknowledges the similarity between his nose and the bird’s beak in a charming moment. Hope they film another episode!
Speaking of on and off, there are questions surrounding the relationship of number one player Italian Jannik Sinner and WTA star Anna Kalinskaya from Moscow. The two teamed up romantically last year, but now fans are trying to piece together evidence to determine if they’ve split and/or reunited. They were seen embracing at the Australian Open, and Sinner has spoken fondly about having a girlfriend, but who are we to jump to conclusions? Time will tell.
Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils, both still on tour, were married in 2021. The Frenchman, 38, and the Ukrainian, 30, now have a two-year-old daughter, Skai. Pictures from their wedding are beautiful. He did wear a purple suit, but it looked great. He recently posted a message on his birthday that Elina and Skai are the most precious gifts life has given him. Aww… The couple’s social media presence is understated, although we have seen hilarious videos of their interactions, such as Svitolina hitting shots (really hard) all around Monfils while he stands against a wall, and the couple singing and dancing on a yacht. Can the Tennis Channel sign them up for the next travel vlog, please?
One of the most charming moments of the summer Olympics in Paris involved Czech players Katerina Siniakova and Tomas Machac. While their relationship had gone public before the Games, the two put out cryptic messages prior to competition suggesting that they were on a break—a ‘tennis comes first’ sort of thing. But then they teamed up and won a gold medal for the Czech Republic in mixed doubles. Their tearful affection on court, and later on the medal podium, was so sweet and loving, people started to wonder. Many of us who’ve attempted to play doubles with our significant others know that it isn’t always easy, but they made it look like a dream come true—a Hollywood ending in real life!
