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In the tennis world, rivalries on the court often steal the show. But what if we told you that stars like Nick Kyrgios, Jimmy Connors, and others also had their fair share of drama in their love lives?
Yes, love and tennis have collided in the most unexpected ways, as these two players, along with a few others, have found themselves entangled in relationships with the same individuals.
On that note, let us take a deep look at the tennis players who have dated the same person:
#4. Carlos Moya & Fabio Fognini - Italian tennis star Flavia Pennetta
Fabio Fognini and Flavia Pennetta are happily married now, but Pennetta's journey in the dating world had its ups and downs before they found each other.
Pennetta is a well-known figure in the tennis world, having won the US Open in 2015. Her private life, meanwhile, fell apart years ago when her three-year-old relationship with another tennis star, Carlos Moya, ended in 2007.
The couple broke up after the Italian found out that Moya was having an affair with Spanish TV presenter Carolina Cerezuela. Cerezuela is now the Spaniard's wife and the mother of their three children.
Flavia Pennetta released her autobiography Ditto al Cuore (Straight to the Heart) in 2011 and shared how devastated she was following her split with the former French Open champion.
"I put everything aside to support him. If you count the times I did it, probably the number is in itself ridiculous. My passion was him, I gave myself completely, and I lost my balance …People felt sorry for me and I could not even defend myself. It was as if I had lost my taste for things. I was trying to be numb towards life, not to feel pain," she wrote. (Quotes via Tennis.com)
However, the former World No. 6 gradually got herself together and found love in the arms of compatriot Fabio Fognini. Her career also took a dramatic turn for the better when she claimed the trophy at Flushing Meadows in 2015.
In the same year, she announced her retirement and gave an interview in which she stated that if it hadn't been for the life lesson from her relationship with Carlos Moya, she would never have kissed Grand Slam glory.
"I had a love problem. Everyone has had this problem, no? During this time, tennis was really important for me as it was my way of not thinking about him (Moya). But after so many years, I have to say thanks to Carlos for everything because if all of this hadn’t happened, I would have never been where I am — a Grand Slam champion," she said. (Quotes via Mid.day)
Fognini and Pennetta were close friends for many years before they began dating in 2014. Soon after, they got engaged in 2015 and within a year, they tied the knot in their native Italy.
They continue to thrive as a happy couple now and are proud parents of three adorable children: a son named Federico and two daughters named Farah and Flaminia.
#3. Tommy Paul, Jack Sock & Alex de Minaur - Katie Boulter
Alex de Minaur's girlfriend Katie Boulter was romantically involved with two American tennis players, Tommy Paul and Jack Sock before her relationship with the Australian.
Boulter and Paul were junior tennis sweethearts in 2014 when they were teenagers. While none of them confirmed anything, they did share photos of themselves and engaged in conversations on social media platforms that hinted at a possible romantic connection between the two.
The couple broke up afterwards and four years later, in 2018, Katie Boulter found herself involved in another relationship rumor, this time with another American tennis player, Jack Sock.
They were thought to be a thing during that year's Wimbledon Championships. Although they did not make anything public, there was speculation when Sock's doubles partner Mike Bryan shared a picture of the two holding hands on his Instagram story, allegedly confirming their relationship.
Later, Jack Sock shared the British No. 1's photo on his Instagram story, adding fuel to the fire. Their romance did not last, as Sock is now happily married to Laura Sock, with whom he is expecting their first child in December of this year. Meanwhile, Boulter also found love again in Alex de Minaur.
Katie Boulter and Alex de Minaur made their relationship public in 2021, and have routinely uploaded photographs of each other on their social media accounts since then.
They celebrated their three-year anniversary in March 2023 and have never shied away from appreciating each other. It was evident from De Minaur's comments before his 2023 US Open loss against Daniil Medvedev. He said his partner has taught him not to take failures too personally, something he had struggled with in the past.
"She [Katie Boulter] doesn't mind the results. She goes out there competing and enjoys herself. I've learned a lot from that. Over the years, I've learned that as much as it hurts in the moment, I can get off the court and the more I spend some time with Katie, we're both able to kind of forget about it and move on," the Australian told the media.
"And it's helped me a lot to not have to linger with some of these matches. I've been able to turn the page and move on and look forward to the next challenge," he added.
The duo even competed in the mixed doubles of the Wimbledon Championships earlier this year. They got off to a good start, outwitting the Australian pair of Storm Hunter and John Peers, but were defeated in the third round by Joran Vliegen and Xu Yifan.
#2. Nick Kyrgios & Matteo Berrettini - Ajla Tomljanovic
Two Australian tennis heartthrobs, Nick Kyrgios and Ajla Tomljanovic, were in a relationship for almost four years. They began dating in 2015 but had an on-again, off-again relationship throughout that time.
They made their romance public during the 2016 Australian Open and even played mixed doubles together at the tournament.
Their lovey-dovey relationship reached new heights when Kyrgios wrote a camera message for her after defeating Novak Djokovic in the fourth round of the 2017 Indian Wells Masters. He wrote:
"Love You Boo."
In an interview with media following his Indian Wells campaign, in which he gave a walkover to Roger Federer in the quarterfinal, Nick Kyrgios attributed his then-girlfriend Ajla Tomljanovic as the secret to his success.
"I think ultimately that’s what’s helped me the last couple weeks. It kind of took the pressure off me a little bit. I just played freely and I was enjoying myself. And seeing her happy was key for me. That’s been pretty important for me seeing her back out there," he said. (Quotes taken from Tennis World USA)
They split up in 2017 when Kyrgios was seen stumbling out of a nightclub in London's Soho district with a couple of female friends. After this, Tomljanovic deactivated her Instagram account, only to reactivate it a few days later. She even unfollowed the Australian tennis sensation.
They briefly got back together afterwards, but their relationship soured again before 2019 and Ajla Tomljanovic found love in Italian tennis ace, Matteo Berrettini.
Even after their separation, Kyrgios and Tomljanovic appeared to be on good terms when the 30-year-old took a stand for her ex-boyfriend in 2022. She declared that she had not experienced domestic violence with the former Wimbledon finalist after he was accused of assaulting his ex-girlfriend Chiara Passari.
"It’s been a while since our relationship ended so obviously I’ve always kept my relationship very private and I would like to keep it like that. I’m definitely against domestic violence and I hope it gets resolved, but yeah I mean haven’t had that experience with him," she told the reporters. (Quotes via Independent)
In the meantime, Matteo Berrettini and Ajla Tomljanovic began dating in 2019. The tennis power couple was frequently seen cheering each other on at matches and attending events together, including the 2021 Met Gala.
They were even featured in season 1 of Netflix's tennis docuseries 'Break Point,' but reports of their breakup began to circulate in 2022 after the couple deleted each other's pictures from their social media accounts before the series' release in January 2023.
Berrettini then confirmed in a press conference in June 2022 that they called it quits, saying:
"Yeah, I'm single but it's not like something that I am looking for, like, it's not that I'm waking up and have to find love. It's just something that is happening, it's good for me, if it doesn't, it's another day, you know. But, yeah, overall, I'm spending more time with my team, I spent a lot of time with my family when I was injured, and I enjoyed a different kind of life a little bit." (Quotes via Tennis World USA)
Nick Kyrgios is now dating Australian social media influencer Costeen Hatzi, and Matteo Berrettini is in a loving relationship with Italian television presenter Melissa Satta. Ajla Tomljanovic though, has remained single since last year.
#1. Jimmy Connors & John Lloyd - Chris Evert
Chris Evert and Jimmy Connors were the 'it' couple of tennis back in the day. The duo initially met while having lunch during the Queen's Club Championships in 1972, and Connors quickly started taking Evert out on dates.
However, it wasn't until the 1974 Wimbledon Championships that their romance became public when they both won the men's and women's singles titles at SW19 together.
It was soon revealed that the couple got engaged while Evert was only 19 years old and her beau was only two years her senior. A wedding was even planned for November 1974, but fate had other plans and it was called off.
In 2013, Jimmy Connors released a memoir called 'The Outsider' and explained the reason why the wedding was canceled. He hinted that Chris Evert got pregnant with his child earlier that year and that she had an abortion without his consent.
"Listen, an issue had arisen as a result of youthful passion and a decision had to be made as a couple. I was staying in an apartment and Nasty [Ilie Nastase] was there when Chrissie called to say she was coming out to LA to take care of that 'issue.' I was perfectly happy to let nature take its course and accept responsibility for what was to come," he wrote. (Quotes taken from USA Today)
"Chrissie, however, had already made up her mind that the timing was bad and too much was riding on her future. She asked me to handle the details. 'Well, thanks for letting me know. Since I don't have any say in the matter, then I guess I'm just here to help'," he added.
Connors' statements 'disappointed' Chris Evert, who expressed her displeasure in a 2013 statement to Reuters about the eight-time Grand Slam champion making such a 'private matter' public without her 'knowledge.'
"In his book, Jimmy Connors has written about a time in our relationship that was very personal and emotionally painful. I am extremely disappointed that he used the book to misrepresent a private matter that took place 40 years ago and made it public, without my knowledge. I hope everyone can understand that I have no further comment," the 18-time Grand Slam champion said.
Things definitely did not work out between them, and interestingly, both of them married other people in 1979. While Jimmy Connors fell in love with Patti McGuire, Chris Evert got involved with another tennis player, former British No. 1, John Lloyd.
Connors' relationship with McGuire has stood the test of time, as they have been happily married for 44 years and have two children together. Meanwhile, Evert's marriage with Lloyd fell apart as she became involved in an affair with the married singer Adam Faith. The duo briefly separated in 1983 before ultimately calling it quits in 1987.
Chris Evert had two more marriages since then. The first was with former Alpine ski racer Andy Mill in 1988, and the second was with retired golfer Greg Norman in 2008.
Neither of these marriages worked out and the 'Ice Maiden' has remained single ever since. She is also on good terms with her three sons, Alexander, Nicholas, and Colton Jack, from her marriage with Andy Mill.
