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If Zendaya’s steamy tennis romp Challengers taught us anything, it’s that tennis is a deeply horny sport. And the tennis landscape of the 2020s is quickly shaping up to be as laced with love and lust as the swinging 70s. Back then, we had Chris Evert and Jimmy Connors captivating fans with their off-court dalliances as much as their on-court prowess, with the “Lovebird Double” going on to win Wimbledon in 1974.
Happily, there’s a wealth of intra-tennis love affairs going on in SW19 for Wimbledon 2024, from the king and queen of young tennis couples, Katie Boulter and Alex de Minaur, to lowkey British inamoratas Liam Broady and Eden Silva.
And they seem to be going swimmingly — in fact, they may even be more noteworthy than when players decide to date out of bounds. Emma Raducanu’s relationship with billionaire heir Carlo Agostinelli ended last month, just in time for her return to Centre Court for the first time in two years. Chances are her head will be entirely in the game, but who knows? Judging by her peers, what happens at Wimbledon rarely stays at Wimbledon.
Here are the other off-court pairings to look out for.
Liam Broady and Eden Silva
One of the hottest couples of Wimbledon 2024 comes in the form of two laidback, stylish Brits: Liam Broady and Eden Silva, who have been dating since 2022. Stockport lad Liam Brody, 30, ranked No. 145, was knocked out yesterday in a singles match against Botic van de Zandschulp, but Essex-born Silva, aged 28, is still in the competition. She’s set to play doubles, where she currently ranks No. 182, alongside partner Samantha Murray (no relation to Andy, before you Google it).
Speaking to the Standard this year, Broady openly addressed his and Eden’s relationship, saying: “I don't really feel like we're in the public eye, to be honest. For most of the year we live a pretty normal life, obviously apart from Wimbledon. It's fine, it's nice. A lot of people said never date tennis players, and all that sort of stuff. But it's been amazing.
“She understands what it takes to be a tennis player better than anyone else. I get on really well with her family, my family love her to death. It brings me a bit of peace and normality, especially going through a bit of a different sort of a life.
"Eden's two years younger than me so I kind of knew of her growing up, and we never really met. She said I was on the way to a date when we first met, with another girl. I don't recall that personally,” he laughed, “but it was at the National Tennis Centre and they have dorms there. She was trying to get into her room, and I obviously cracked some sort of slick joke to get her attention. That's how I remember it.”
Katie Boulter and Alex de Minaur
The reigning power couple of tennis, Britain’s Katie Boulter, 27, and Australia’s Alex de Minaur, 25, are still going strong ahead of Wimbledon 2024, having recently celebrated their fourth anniversary. Boulter, who is currently British No. 1, has been open about her enjoyment of dating someone in the same field. “I'm super lucky to have an incredible guy around me,” she told the Standard this week. “It’s very comforting knowing that I've got someone that I can bounce ideas off, who's one of the best tennis players in the game, and I don't take that for granted. I always ask his advice, and I think he really helps me. He helps me in many different things. There could be a long list if I went into them, so you'd probably be here a long time.”
The No. 9 ranked Aussie has made similar comments, saying: “Katie has helped me out a lot with finding perspective, not being so driven, not to live or die by match results, which were everything for me.”
The pair’s relationship started during the pandemic, and after “months of talking on FaceTime” they got together, and are now lucky enough to play in the same tournaments, even pairing up for the odd doubles match. You know what they say, those who play together…
Jannick Sinner and Anna Kalinskaya
There’s a new tennis power couple on the block, because Jannick Sinner, 22, and Anna Kalinskaya, 25, are an item! It’s been a big year for Sinner, with the Italian player and Gucci ambassador winning his first Grand Slam at the Australian Open in January and ranking No. 1 in the world for the first time. He’s clearly had time for some extracurriculars, though, as he coupled up with No. 17 ranked Russian player Kalinskaya earlier this year.
This isn’t the first time Kalinskaya has made her love life sport-centric, either. Her ex-boyfriend is former Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios, but the pair split dramatically in 2020. After a set of Instagram posts (including one which read: “You’re not a bad boy, you’re a bad person”) led many to believe Kalinskaya and Kyrgios were at odds with each other, the Russian player eventually came to his defense. “He did nothing. He is a good person and I didn't mean to comment about him,” she said in 2020.
Now she’s with rising star Sinner, and is apparently having to ward away professional sportsmen left and right who keep sliding into her DMs.
Stefanos Tsitsipas and Paula Badosa
Stefanos Tsitsipas and Paula Badosa, aka “Tsitsidosa”, are back on after a rocky couple of months and a brief breakup in May. The rumour-mill was set in motion after the pair’s infamous shared Instagram account, Tsitsidosa, was deactivated.
The couple later confirmed they had split up on social media, until paparazzi pictures emerged of the duo snogging less than a month later. Revealing their rekindling to Greek news outlet SDNA, Tsitsipas said: “We're together. I will explain why some people make up different stories about us. Not that I care, but I think people shouldn't take it that way.”
Tsitsipas is currently ranked No. 11 in the world, having achieved as high as No. 3 in 2021, whereas Badosa has tumbled to No. 113, after reaching No. 2 in the women’s rankings back in 2022, due to a spate of injuries.
The pair also enjoy being in the same field, with Tsitsipas telling reporters: “We talk about equipment. We talk about things that we can improve. Paula keeps saying she wishes she had my forehand. I tell her, ‘I’m sorry, but that's not possible so you have to find ways around it’.” Romantic, I guess?
Denis Shapovalov and Mirjam Bjorklund
Another long-term tennis pairing comes in the form of Denis Shapovalov and Mirjam Bjorklund. The Canadian and Swedish players, both aged 25 and ranked 117 and 205 respectively, have been together since they were 20. The couple got engaged in 2023, and celebrated their five year anniversary last month.
Shapovalov has spoken publicly about his relationship with Bjorklund in the past, including how she opened his eyes to gender inequality within the sport. “I used to be naïve about tennis,” he said. “When I started out, I kind of assumed that male and female pros were treated the same way. It just made sense, you know? I mean, why would it be any different?” Shapovalov added that Bjorklund was the one who made him aware of the gender pay gap, which he called “so unfair.”
After a series of injuries for the pair, Bjorklund returned to tennis this year for the first time in eight months, with the welcoming support of her boyfriend Shapovalov. He’s back at Wimbledon for this year’s Championships, so keep an eye out — both on court and in the VIP box.
