It’s a Wimbledon love match! How host of tennis couples will take to the famous lawns at SW19, from men’s World No 1 Jannik Sinner and his Russian girlfriend Anna Kalinskaya, to Britain’s No 1 Katie Boulter and Alex de Minaur

Wimbledon is approaching, but when the referees say ‘love’ it means more than just ‘zero’ for many participants in the prestigious tennis tournament.

SW19 has been the scene of countless romances between players over the years – Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf started dating in 1999, the year they both became French Open champions, and are still married more than 20 years later.

Chris Evert and Jimmy Connors captivated fans with their off-court affair. Although they never made it down the aisle, they were dubbed “The Lovebird Double” when they both won Wimbledon in 1974.

Although the trend of players dating each other is no longer as big a part of the sport as it once was, it seems to be making a comeback with a number of ‘it’ couples now appearing on the hallowed lawns of Wimbledon.

Anabel Croft, former player and now BBC pundit, recently said: ‘It’s fun to watch and people love gossip. Tennis players have a circus lifestyle. It helps that your partner knows how hard your losses are.”

The lead is taken by the Italian world number one, Jannik Sinner, who is in a relationship with the Russian Anna Kalinskaya and who is also called the new ‘power couple’ of the game.

It is believed they started dating in April 2024 after meeting during training sessions and after that they were regularly spotted supporting each other during matches.

The couple were spotted training together ahead of Wimbledon, while Jannik, who won the Australian Open earlier this year, confirmed their relationship at last month’s French Open.

He told reporters: ‘I agree with Anna, yes, but we keep everything very confidential – you know my confidentiality… I will not say more about it.’

Anna, 25, has largely kept her lips sealed about the romance, but revealed last month after losing the final of the Berlin Ladies Open: ‘I’m just trying to be a bit as good as him. Let’s see if we can see each other tomorrow. I’m going to text him now!’

Jannik, 22, won his first Grand Slam in Australia earlier this year, which earned him a lucrative contract as a Gucci ambassador and has made him a fashion icon whose appeal extends beyond just tennis fans.

He was born in San Candido, Italy, and lives in Monte Carlo, but due to their tennis commitments, he rarely spends time with Anna there.

Moscow-born Anna, who currently ranks 18th in the world, started playing tennis at an early age and moved to the US at the age of 14 to focus on tennis.

Her parents, Nikolay and Elena, are both former professional badminton players, while her brother Nikolaz Kalinsky is a footballer, playing as a central midfielder or defensive midfielder for FC Pari Nizhny Novgorod in Russia.

Katie Boulter, the current British women’s number one singles player, has been in a relationship with Australian boyfriend Alex de Minaur – ranked number nine in the world – since 2021, with the pair regularly sharing photos of their time together on social media.

Last year they played together in the Wimbledon mixed doubles. Before this year’s tournament, she revealed in an interview with Australian media that she quickly knew he was the man of her dreams.

She said: ‘We bumped into each other at six in the morning and ended up going for a coffee. From that moment on I knew I was in it for the long haul,” Boulter told The Age.

‘Growing up, I was always super close to my grandpa: I always told myself that if I could find someone who has half his heart, I would be the luckiest woman in the world. I found that person in Alex.

“He always puts me before himself and takes care of the people around him – his family and his team. He is my best example of what I want to be.”

He previously indicated that it is ‘just nice to be around her’ and that he greatly admires her cheerful character.

Last year the couple and their families rented a house near the All England Club and it is believed they have done so again for this year’s tournament.

Boulter, 27, said of the reasons for this: ‘We all spend a lot of time together. I have the ability to get away whenever I want – I know where the nearest coffee shop is, where the stringers are – so this is a place I can call home.’

Boulter and de Minaur, 25, regularly watch each other’s battles and try not to stay in the background as they cheer each other on from the stands at tournaments. They also regularly post photos of each other on social media and messages of support.

Speaking about the benefits of working with a fellow pro, Boulter said: ‘I’ve learnt so much from him, how he works and trains.’

Ukrainian Elina Svitolina has been married to fellow professional player Gael Monfils since 2021 and a year later the couple had their first child, Skaï.

Announcing their engagement on social media in April 2021, the Frenchman posted a photo of Svitolina showing off her ring in the mountains and wrote: ‘She said YES. Mrs. MONFILS.’

The Ukrainian former world number 3 posted a photo of their duo together, adding: ‘YES! to the beginning of our eternity.’

Monfils, 37, and Svitolina, 29, have been dating since 2019 after meeting on the tennis circuit and have become fan favorites, regularly posting to their shared ‘GEMS life’ Instagram page.

After returning to the track following the birth of their daughter, the Ukrainian won an event in Strasbourg but has been out of form since.

Of dating a fellow player, she said, “It’s very special to have someone who understands what you go through to achieve these victories, and it’s special to share these moments together.”

American professional Madison Keys, ranked 11th in the world, has been in a relationship with doubles player Bjorn Fratangelo since 2017, who also happens to be her coach.

The couple also frequently play doubles together and were featured in the mixed doubles event at the 2021 US Open.

They met while training at the same facility in the US and announced their engagement in 2023.

Keys, 29, said at the time: “He actually did it at home. The day I came back from Dubai, so I didn’t expect it at all.

“I was sitting on the couch and he said, ‘Hey, I have your birthday present.’ He gave me something and then he got down on one knee. Just sat on the couch, so now we have to keep the couch forever.”

Fratangelo, 30, revealed: “We’re best friends. She’s my fiancée. There’s nothing we hold back from each other, and it’s been a really good collaboration, and it’s been a lot of fun for both of us, I think.”

Australian tennis stars Daria Gavrilova and Luke Saville, both 30, fell in love as teenagers and tied the knot in 2021.

Russian-born Gavrilova became an Australian citizen in 2016, and the couple’s first dance at their wedding was sung to Coldplay’s My Universe. The couple learned a dance routine from YouTube.

She now uses her married name while competing professionally and is currently ranked 82nd.

In 2018, she shared hilarious details about their beachside proposal, which didn’t go according to her husband’s plans.

“He proposed on the beach, and he acted like you’d get bothered about something else, because when I was dressed up, we never dress up. When we were dressed up, you’d be waiting in the restaurant or something,” she said.

“So we went to the beach. And there were so many people, it was like, oh, God. I take my tights off, because we’re going in the water. And he’s like, there’s too many people. And I’m just like, what are you talking about? Like, let’s end this. I don’t want to be in the cold water for so long.

“And then I see the box, and he says, ‘I have a question to ask,’ and then he proposed. He didn’t get down on his knee, but asked. He said, “Can’t I get down on my knee?” I thought: fine. Certainly. Because I didn’t want it to be a big thing.’

Rumors began circulating that Czech players Katerina Siniakova, 27, and Tomas Machac, 22, were an item in 2021, and the couple confirmed it on Instagram shortly after, with Machac sharing a photo of the pair in a restaurant, captioning it, “My love.”

Machac will face Andy Murray tomorrow and is currently ranked 33rd in the world, while Katerina, ranked 5th, is considerably more successful than her partner, having won the US Open and Wimbledon three times.