5 high-profile tennis relationships that did not last ft. Chris Evert & Jimmy Connors
Despite the ATP and WTA tours being separate, players have bridged the gap by getting involved in a romantic entanglement from time to time. Naturally, the media attention only goes up whenever two big names get together.
Roger Federer met his wife Mirka while the two were representing their country at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Fast forward to two decades later, the couple are still together and parents to four children.
Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi are considered as all-time greats of the sport. However, people were quite skeptical when they initially started to date given their contrasting personalities. But their relationship has stood the test of time and they're still going strong.
Unfortunately, not all high-profile relationships have happy endings. Tennis has seen plenty of power couples come and go over the course of time. Here are five such noteworthy duos from the sport whose relationship didn't last:
#5 - Matteo Berrettini and Ajla Tomljanovic
Tomljanovic sent rumor mills into overdrive when she was spotted in Berrettini's box during the 2019 US Open. The two were frequently seen together after that and confirmed their romance shortly after. The two made quite the pair and were together whenever their schedules permitted.
However, cracks in their relationship begin to appear in 2022. Berrettini eventually confirmed that the two had parted ways while competing at the Queen's Club Championships. As for Tomljanovic, this was her second break-up with a tennis player, following her previous relationship with Nick Kyrgios.
#4 - Petra Kvitova and Radek Stepanek
Stepanek was previously involved with two other tennis players. He was engaged to Martina Hingis, but they called off their engagement in August 2007. He then married Nicole Vaidisova in 2010, but the two separated in 2013. He started dating Kvitova soon after his divorce.
The two Grand Slam champions from Czech Republic dated for a year from 2013 to 2014. Kvitova had won her maiden Major crown at Wimbledon a couple of years ago, while Stepanek claimed his first Grand Slam title in doubles at the 2012 US Open.
However, the rigor of maintaining a relationship while dealing with a long and grueling tennis season took a toll on them. They went their separate ways in 2014, but remained on good terms.
Kvitova is now married to her coach and former tennis player Jiri Vanek. Stepanek, on the other hand, remarried Vadisiova in 2018 and the couple have two daughters together.
#3 - Maria Sharapova and Grigor Dimitrov
Sharapova rose to global superstardom after defeating Serena Williams in the final of the 2004 Wimbledon. The Russian was subject to intense media scrutiny on and off the court.
Sharapova began dating fellow tennis player Grigor Dimitrov in late 2012. However, they kept their relationship under wraps for the next few months. They went public about their romance at the 2013 Madrid Open, following the Bulgarian's win over World No.1 Novak Djokovic.
The two courted plenty of attention during their time together, but ultimately their relationship fizzled out. They eventually split up in July 2015. Dimitrov was also rumored to have dated Serena Williams in the past, but they never comfirmed their dalliance.
#2 - Kim Clijsters and Lleyton Hewitt
Clijsters and Hewitt met at the 2000 Australian Open and started dating shortly after that. The two played in the mixed doubles event at Wimbledon the same year and made it all the way to the final, but lost to Kimberly Po and Donald Johnson.
The duo were engaged as well and Clijsters was nicknamed "Aussie Kim" due to her relationship with Hewitt. Unfortunately, the pair called it a time on their love affair in late 2004.
Neverthless, Clijsters remained quite popular among the Australian crowd who cheered her on every time she played there. She finally captured her first Major title Down Under 2011. Following her triumph, she acknowledged that she had finally earned the moniker of "Aussie Kim".
#1 - Chris Evert and Jimmy Connors
Evert and Connors were on top of their games in the 1970s, so when the two tennis pros got together, the media frenzy was over the top. The both won the singles title at the 1974 Wimbledon, a feat which was termed as the "Lovebord Double" by the press.
The two were even engaged and a wedding was planned for November 8, 1974, which didn't happen. They ended their relationship prior to the 1975 Wimbledon. They dated on and off over the next couple of years, but went their separate ways for good in 1978.
Connors later claimed in his autobiography that Evert underwent an abortion when they were together, which led to the breakdown of their relationship. The latter was not pleased about such a private matter being made public and rebuked him for doing so.
Evert was also married to British tennis player John Lloyd. The two tied the knot in 1979, but separated after a few years following the American's affair with Adam Faith. The two eventually reconciled, but got divorced in April 1987.