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Game, sex, match: The most passionate romances of the tennis court

In tribute to Zendaya’s new film, ‘Challengers’, about a love trio between tennis players, we review the real-life relationships between professionals of the sport which surpass fiction

Apr 25, 2024 - 19:10CEST

Carlos Moyá and Flavia Pennetta. Pennetta, winner of the U.S. Open, was the first known girlfriend of the Spanish tennis player until he began dating actress Carolina Cerezuela, the mother of his three children. JONATHAN WOOD / GETTY IMAGES (Getty Images)

Boris Becker. The public image of the six-time Grand Slam winner was never the same after the controversial 'broom cupboard case' in 1999. While his first wife, Barbara, seven months pregnant, was in hospital with contractions, Becker decided to take a stroll around London to clear his head. At the famous Nobu restaurant he met Russian model Angela Ermakova and, after a “five-minute” conversation, they had casual sex in the broom closet. Eight months later, Ermakova informed Becker that she was pregnant with a baby girl. Barbara broke off the marriage when she learned of his infidelity and, although the tennis player denied he was the father of the child for months, he eventually recognized her as his own. Today Anna, as the young woman is called, is a TV celebrity in Germany. In the picture, Boris and Barbara Becker in 1997.Ullstein bild / Getty Images

Billie Jean King. The legendary tennis player and advocate for women's rights was hit by one of the biggest scandals of the sport of the early 1980s. Marilyn Barnett, who had been her personal assistant, manager and confidant, blackmailed her by threatening to make public that the two of them had had an affair that lasted several years. This affair was alleged to have happened while the tennis player was married to lawyer Larry King (in the picture in 1966). Billie Jean acknowledged their affair in a press conference, claiming that it had been a “mistake.” The tennis legend came out in 1998 and has since become an LGBTQ+ icon. Charlie Ley / GETTY IMAGES

Nick Kyrgios. The most famous bad boy in tennis today is the source of controversy both on and off the court. Although he is currently in a relationship with model Costeen Hatzi (pictured above in 2022), the Australian had no qualms about admitting that he used to sleep with fans. When asked during a live steam playing Fortnite if he had slept with a fan, he replied: “Yes, in all seriousness if I’m not seeing someone it’s like a weekly thing,” according to ‘The Sun.’ In that same live stream, he said that he was once even distracted by a woman in the crowd. "I was slicing up Fedz and was like 'damn.' I wanted to take her out for a drink,” he said.Quinn Rooney / Getty Images

Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi. Summer, 1992. The long-haired and talented American Andre Agassi fights to win his first Wimbledon tournament, but sport was not the only thing on his mind: he wanted to meet Graf, the great leader of women's tennis. On paper, they are polar opposites: she is cerebral and discreet; while he is passionate and eccentric. The tradition at Wimbledon is for the male and female winners of the tournament to dance together at the champions’ ball, and Agassi goes to Harrods on the eve of the event to buy a tuxedo to dazzle the German player. But the ball was cancelled that year and their romance did not come to fruition until seven years later, at Roland Garros. In the picture, the couple at Roland Garros in 2009.LAURENT ZABULON / GETTY IMAGES

Paula Badosa and Stefanos Tsitsipas. The relationship between these players has sparked numerous headlines, with it being perhaps the most famous in tennis since the times of Graf and Agassi. But the two have also been criticized, with some arguing that the relationship has hurt their performance on the court. Spanish player Badosa told EL PAÍS that the criticism was upsetting: “It’s quite serious that people are going around saying things, because they are ruining the career of someone who has spent their whole life devoting themselves to it”. In the picture, the tennis players in New York in 2023.Jean Catuffe / GETTY IMAGES (GC Images)

Roger Federer and Mirka Vavrinec. While Federer is a legend of the sport, few know that Vavrinec was also a professional tennis player, although her career was cut short by injuries. The two met at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, where they were representing Switzerland in tennis, and started dating that same year. Although neither won a medal that summer, on their last night in the Olympic village they had their first kiss. Theo Wargo / Getty Images

Francesca Schiavone. The Italian player, who reached the pinnacle of her professional career by winning the French Open in 2010, has been very open about debunking the myth that sexual abstinence improves performance. "For a woman, sex before a match is not only allowed, it is fantastic," Schiavone said. "It raises your hormone levels and brings advantages to all of your points.” In the photo, Schiavone at Roland Garros in 2010.Benjamin Solomon / Getty Images

Chris Evert and Jimmy Connors. Their semi-adolescent love began in 1974 on the grass of Wimbledon (in the picture, both with their trophies), when they won the singles champions. Although they were engaged to be married, their relationship only lasted a few months. The following year, Connors showed up with another woman in the middle of Evert's Wimbledon semifinal match when they had not even officially broken off their relationship. “I just saw him up in the stands with another woman and it sort of threw me off a little bit, and I think I double faulted and it was my own fault you know, I wasn’t concentrating,” admitted the tennis player, who ended up losing the match. In the photo, the couple at Wimbledon in 1974.Bettmann Archive / GETTY IMAGES

Flavia Pennetta and Fabio Fognini. Although the breakup with Carlos Moya was a hard blow for the tennis player, the Italian found love again on the courts with her compatriot Fabio Fognini. Today they are happily married and have three children together. In the picture, the couple in 2016 in Rome.Dennis Grombkowski / GETTY IMAGES

Alex de Minaur and Katie Boulter. “We kind of understand each other. We know what to expect, how we can help each other in certain situations. Tennis is a very stressful lifestyle, as it is. It's always great to have a partner that you can kind of count on, help you out here and there.” That’s what Australian player De Minaur, who is ranked No.11 in the world, said of his girlfriend, British player Katie Boulter (who is also in the top 30). The couple — who have been together for four years — also played together in the mixed doubles at Wimbledon, although without much success. However, the press describes them as “tennis’ new power couple.”Mike Hewitt / Getty Images

Gaël Monfils and Elina Svitolina. This is another one of the most famous couples of tennis. The Frenchman and the Ukrainian started dating in 2019 and married two years later. In 2022, they welcomed their first daughter, named Skai. But parenthood and competing at an elite level has its challenges. “It’s too hard to be so far away from my daughter,” admitted Monfils. “This is an aspect of the job that changes things enormously. It’s a sacrifice I don’t want to make. Seven weeks without seeing my daughter is too difficult.”Sarah Stier / Getty Images