Top 5 Tennis Couples
Everyone loves good romance, and it only gets better when it’s between two of your favourite tennis players. Many of tennis’s high profile couples are not only just athletes; they also play the same sport.
These relationships are constantly in the spotlight and are subject to a lot of media attention and it’s no wonder that a dating tennis star is bound to garner more media coverage.
Under the glaring public eye, relationships are extremely difficult to maintain. However, some couples have managed it with enviable aplomb and finesse. Bettor.com takes a look at the sport’s favourite couples...
Andre Agassi & Steffi Graf – They are the undisputed number 1 couple in tennis. Agassi and Graf have been dating since 1999. They both came out as the surprise champions at the 1999 French Open. Both players had a traditional champions dance at the winners’ ball, where they developed an immediate connection. They were married in a private ceremony on 22nd October, 2001. They have two children, 30 Grand Slam tournaments and 2 Olympic Gold medals between the two of them.
Lucie Safarova & Tomas Berdych – This Czechoslovakian couple started out as friends who often practiced their game together. It was this working friendship which developed into a romantic connection since 2003 due to which, they have the distinction of the longest relationship between two active tennis players. Although marriage does not appear to be on the cards, they have done well in their professional lives as it is evident by their 2007 in-sync Australian Open victories.
Roger Federer & Mirka Vavrinec – Mirka Vavrinec is better known as Federer’s wife and his acting manager, but she is also a former professional tennis player. In 2000, Mirka moved up to the top 100, but she was forced to retire permanently in 2002 due to an Achilles tendon injury. She and Federer met at the 2000 Athens Games and began dating not long after. They married on 11th April, 2009 and are the parents of two twin girls.
Nicole Vaidisova & Radek Stepanek – Apart from being tennis players, this couple comes from the same country as well. The Czech couple has been dating since December 2007. Sceptics doubted that the relationship would survive, due to the 11 year age difference between them coupled with Stepanek’s reputation as a party boy. However, three years later, the couple appears to be going strong with a wedding planned for this year.
Shan Jiang & Li Na – Though some tennis players may have difficulty with their relationships due to time constraints and long distance problems, this is the least of Chinese player Li Na and her husband Shan Jiang’s concerns. A former professional tennis player himself, Shan Jiang has retired and now fills in as Li Na’s coach, travelling with her wife for tournaments and matches around the world. They married on 27th January, 2006 and are seldom seen without each other.
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