5 tennis players whose spouses are more famous than them
Spouses of tennis players have often been spotted seated in the player's box, traveling with them on the professional tennis tour, and they are a source of motivation for their partner during competitive matches.
The cinema and fashion industry have had a close association with the tennis fraternity in the past. Tennis players themselves are seen as models and ambassadors in popular culture. Being a globally renowned sport that includes regular travel around the globe, there have been instances where tennis players frequently encounter high-profile celebrities during their journeys.
There has been considerable overlap between tennis players and public figures in other industries and there are some couples where the spouse is much more popular than the tennis player himself/herself. Let's take a look at five such tennis couples.
#1 Tommy Haas
Spouse: Sara Foster
Former World No. 2 Tommy Haas enjoyed a professional career of 22 years. He won 15 singles titles, reaching the quarterfinals or better at every Major more than once. In 2010, the German got engaged to American actress Sara Foster. Before she got engaged, Foster had retired as a fashion model before moving to the film industry. She previously appeared in music videos for Backstreet Boys and The Wondergirls.
As an actress, she got her first breakthrough in the 2004 movie D.E.B.S. She has since appeared in movies like The Big Bounce, Entourage, Psych 9 and The Other End of the Line. She has also appeared in an episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.
Haas and Foster are parents to two daughters, Valentina and Josephine.
#2 Mahesh Bhupathi
Spouse: Lara Dutta
Lara Dutta with her husband Mahesh Bhupathi at the #IIFA2016 green carpet in Madrid (Spain) https://t.co/W8qa14lwZL
Indian ace Mahesh Bhupathi is a former doubles World No. 1 player who has won four Major doubles titles and achieved a career Grand Slam in mixed doubles.
In 2011, he married Bollywood actress and Miss Universe 2000 winner Lara Dutta. Dutta has starred in over 30 Bollywood movies. A five-time host of the International Indian Film Academy Awards, Dutta is also the founder of the beauty care brand Arias.
Some of the movies for which Dutta is known are Bell Bottom, No Entry, Andaaz, Housefull, Partner and Don 2.
Bhupathi and Dutta had a daughter who was born in 2012.
#3 Ana Ivanovic
Spouse: Bastian Schweinsteiger
Former WTA World No. 1 Ana Ivanovic won her only Grand Slam title at the 2008 French Open. She won 15 singles tour-level titles in her 13-year long professional career. The Serb married German football Bastian Schweinsteiger in 2016.
#WorldCup
Bastian Schweinsteiger holds up the World Cup trophy https://t.co/CO9m0YTYqZ
Schweinsteiger was a part of the German football team that won the 2014 Fifa World Cup. He is the fourth-highest capped player in Germany (121) and is widely regarded as one of the greatest mid-fielders of all time.
He was an integral part of the Bayern Munich team for 17 years, scoring 68 goals in 500 matches. Ivanovic and Schweinsteiger are parents to two sons.
#4 Andy Roddick
Spouse: Brooklyn Decker
Andy Roddick and Brooklyn Decker will appear on an episode of @FamilyFeudABC, competing against the @BobbyBonesShow.
More: bsltnns.co/Nt7ZXB https://t.co/RoiOpSKnhy
Former World No.1 Andy Roddick is a three-time Wimbledon runner-up who won the 2003 US Open singles title. The American won 32 singles tour-level titles during his career. He married swimwear actress and model Brooklyn Decker in 2009.
Brooklyn Decker: From Sports Illustrated Cover Model To Today's Most Stylish Woman newsplususa.com/brooklyn-decke… #BrooklynDecker #modeling
She became famous after appearing on the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue and working on the 2010 Victoria's Secret "Swim" edition. Ever since making her debut as a film actress in the 2011 movie Just Go With It, Decker has been a part of eight other Hollywood movies and has over 10 television appearances.
Together, Decker and Roddick have appeared in Dietz & Watson commercials. The couple have a son named Hank and a daughter named Stevie.
#5 Ryan Sweeting
Spouse: Kaley Cuoco
Ryan Sweeting is a former professional tennis player who played on the tour from 2007 to 2015. He never made it past the second round at any Slam and was ranked as high as No. 64 in the world. In 2013, he married actress Kaley Cuoco. Cuoco is widely known for her role as "Penny" in the sitcom The Big Bang Theory.
Kaley Cuoco says that he ex-husband Ryan Sweeting almost "ruined" marriage for her. https://t.co/PXeUqn8D2G
A part of over 50 films and television series, Cuoco received critical acclaim for her role in the movie The Flight Attendant. Unfortunately, Cuoco and Sweeting divorced in 2016. The American actress was required to pay $165,000 in spousal support.