Tennis is back for 2024, and first stop is the Australian Open! Thousands of tennis fans - and players - are set to descend to Melbourne Park, where they will take in all the action from the courts. This is the first of the four Grand Slam tennis events held each year, preceding the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open.
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And while the focus will remain firmly on the tennis players, who are the loyal partners that will be cheering them on from courtside - or at home? From Andy Murray's wife Kim to Emma Raducanu's boyfriend Carlo Agostinelli, we take a look at the sports stars' supportive other halves.
Novak Djokovic's wife Jelena Djokovic
Novak Djokovic tends to have his wife Jelena supporting him from the sidelines. The couple married in July 2014, and shared their wedding day exclusively with HELLO! magazine. The big day took place just a few days after Novak scored his second Wimbledon title. Jelena, who runs the Novak Foundation, said of laying eyes on her groom for the first time: "I was seeing him through tears and immediately started crying when I saw him.
"I was just so happy and probably being pregnant makes it quite difficult to control the emotions. I am so blessed to have him in my life. I couldn't ask for a better partner than him." The couple are now parents to son Stefan, six, and daughter Tara, three.
The past 12 months have been amazing for the Serbian player, who won the Australian Open, French Open and US Open titles as well as clinching victory in the ATP Finals. On social media, Novak was quick to pay tribute to his wife, writing: "What an amazing season this has been. Forever grateful to my wife for being the best mother I could ask for to our kids, while I was making history of the sport. Her support and love that I have been feeling from my family made this historic season possible.
"I would like to congratulate and thank my team for their dedication and efforts. Another very successful year for the team in the books. We will remember this one forever. So many memorable moments that sent chills down our spines. Journey continues in 2024. Looking forward to what’s coming up. Onwards and upwards."
Andy Murray's wife Kim
Andy Murray's wife Kim has supported him throughout his tennis career. The couple married in April 2015 and are parents to four children; Sophia, Edie, Teddie, and Lola. Kim and Andy's romance dates back to 2005, when the couple met at a party in South Africa. The following year their relationship became public knowledge when Andy sweetly ran to Kim's side, to kiss her after winning his first senior title.
MORE: Andy Murray opens up about career sacrifices wife Kim made to support him
During a chat with HELLO! last year, Kim revealed how proud she is of her husband. "It's great he is still so focussed," she shared. "He goes out there wanting to win every single match and we are very proud of him."
Naomi Osaka's boyfriend Cordae
The Japanese tennis player has been romantically linked to rapper Cordae since 2019, and in July 2023, they welcomed a baby girl named Shai. However, it seems the couple have sparked split rumours with the 26-year-old tennis star removing all traces of Cordae from her Instagram page.
During an interview in InStyle's December digital issue, Naomi opened up about parenting with Cordae and how they have "built a really good foundation". She said: "I don't know if it's because he's just an easygoing guy, but I think we just respect each other's opinions. And if we disagree on something, we talk it out. At the end of the day, we both want what's best for Shai."
She added: "I've stepped away from tennis before, but this time, it was the longest duration of my life. And I think it kind of gave me a perspective like, 'Hey, you're not going to play tennis forever. And you kind of have to cherish the years that you can play.' I do want to be a good role model for Shai, and I want her to see that this was an important chapter in my life."
Alex de Minaur and Katie Boulter
This tennis couple will be supporting each other when they are not playing. The British beauty and Australian hunk began dating in 2021. They confirmed their romance on International Women's Day in 2021. Sharing a beautiful picture of themselves, Alex wrote: "Happy international women’s day!! Specially to this one, I don’t mind you." To which, Katie replied: "Guess you're OK too [love heart emoji]."
British player Katie often shares pictures with Australian star Alex on social media, with the pair even celebrating the festive season together. Just a few weeks ago, Katie uploaded sweet snapshots of the couple and remarked: "Get yourself a guy that loves taking pictures with you."
Alex is the highest ranked Australian Men's tennis player, with many Aussies hoping he will go far. The's?? had one of the best rankings since fellow Aussie Lleyton Hewitt.
Felix Auger-Aliassime's girlfriend Nina Ghaibi
French Canadian player Felix Auger Aliassime has been in a relationship with Nina Ghaibi, 22, since early 2019. They often post photos together online, and have already won a loyal legion of fans. The tennis player previously paid tribute to Nina on her birthday, writing: "Happy birthday to the one who makes all moments feel so special. I'm so blessed and privileged to share this life with you. Now time to hear about you being older than me for the next 2 months. Enjoy your day cutie."
For their second anniversary, Felix gushed: "Well, I'm pretty happy our paths crossed two years ago. Two years of love and happiness. To many more in the future." But it seems Felix won't be the only person Nina will be cheering on! Her cousin, Australian player Ajla Tomljanović, is also set to take the court.
Ajla also used to date fellow tennis star Matteo Berrettini, from 2019 to 2022. Before their split, Felix said of his friendship with the Italian player in Netflix's Break Point: "Both our girlfriends are cousins, so it just happens that we spend a lot of time together. He's one of my best friends on the [ATP] tour. He's really a great guy."
Emma Raducanu's boyfriend Carlo Agostinelli
British tennis hopeful Emma Raducanu went public with her romance with her billionaire boyfriend, Carlo Agostinelli, during Paris Fashion Week in September after months of rumours. Although the pair have been pictured out and about on the odd occasion, Carlo is yet to be seen courtside at one of Emma's matches.
The Stanford University graduate, who was also a pupil at Harrow, is the son of American banker Robert Agostinelli and Mathilde Favier, who is head of PR at Dior. Emma and Carlo sparked romance rumours when the pair appeared to share sweet pictures during a sun-soaked vacation to Mexico in May 2023.
Caroline Wozniacki's husband David Lee
Former world No.1 champion Caroline Wozniacki was awarded one of the main-draw wildcards for the Australian Open 2024. The tennis star, who won the title at Melbourne Park in 2018, made an exciting comeback last summer after nearly four years away. She will doubt be cheered on by her husband David Lee, whom she married in June 2019.
Shortly after the nuptials, Caroline gushed to HELLO!: "We had the best time, it was awesome. We had an absolute blast and got to enjoy the whole four days we were there and got to say hi to everybody and got to interact and it was absolutely perfect." She added: "We partied all the way until four in the morning which was perfect."
Since getting married, Caroline and the former NBA All-Star have welcomed two children, daughter Olivia and son James. The sports star often sings her husband's praises on social media, for Father's Day last year, she gushed: "A big shoutout to the Father of our Dreams. Tomorrow we are celebrating Father's Day with a heart full of gratitude for the unwavering support and love you bring. From late-night feedings to diaper changes, you've been my rock through it all."
She added: "Together, we're raising our beautiful children, and your dedication as a father fills my heart with joy. Thank you for being the anchor in our family, guiding us with your wisdom and unconditional love. Happy Father's Day, my partner in parenthood!"
Coco Gauff's 'mysterious' boyfriend
Although this American player has yet to disclose the identity of her boyfriend, Coco Gauff has referenced him during her interviews. Shortly after winning her first Grand Slam title at the 2023 US Open, Coco credited her partner for being there for her.
"Honestly, I didn't have any of those visions [of winning] till last night," she said after her win. "You know, I thought about it, but I told myself to get it out of my head, because that's what I did at French. I was envisioning, you know, what would happen if I would win. I think I wanted it too much." The star added: "Last night, I started a little bit, but honestly, I just called my boyfriend, and I told him let's talk until it's time to go to sleep so we spoke until 1:00 a.m. and then I went to sleep."
The 19-year-old also revealed the gift she received from him - a nеcklacе with an infinity symbol. "My boyfriеnd gavе this to mе. Infinity," she disclosed. "Hе gavе that to mе aftеr I won thе US Opеn. Onе day I just got tirеd of taking it off, so I just kеpt wеaring it. Lеt mе play with somеthing that mеans somеthing to mе."
Paula Badosa and Stefanos Tsitsipas
Another tennis power couple! Paula, 26, and Stefanos, 25, went public with their relationship shortly after the 2023 Italian Open in Rome – since then, the pair have even played Mixed Doubles together. The Spanish and Greek stars made headlines after they won their first-ever mixed doubles match in World Tennis League action in December.
"This was the test," joked Paula after winning the match. "Either we get divorced, or this goes better & better." In which, Stefanos replied: "It's a true pleasure to share the court with someone I've followed for a few years. My favourite female tennis player."
After the semi-finals at the Vienna Open in October 2023, Tsitsipas gushed to a reporter: "I'm in love with tennis, my girlfriend, and my family, these three things that I call the holy trinity."
Carlos Alcaraz's rumoured girlfriend Maria González Giménez
The Spaniard, who is one of the biggest names in tennis right now, is believed to be dating Maria González Giménez, a tennis player from Murcia.
The couple, who are yet to go public with their relationship, have kept their romance on the down low. However, Tennis Tonic previously shared a screenshot of an Instagram story posted on Alcaraz's account where the two where seen sharing a sweet embrace.
Taylor Fritz's girlfriend Morgan Riddle
American tennis ace Taylor Fritz was one of the breakout stars to feature in Netflix's tennis doc, Break Point. His girlfriend of three years, Morgan Riddle, also featured in the hit show.
They first met on the exclusive, members-only dating app Raya, during the pandemic in 2020. During a previous chat with People, the social media influencer revealed she had just moved to Los Angeles and "didn't know anybody" so turned towards the app where she met the tennis star.
"Because it was during Covid, no restaurants were open, no bars were open so we ordered sushi," she divulged. "We went to his place and I made him watch Midsommar with me, the really messed up horror movie. Why I chose that as my first introduction to a guy, I don't really know. I think I traumatized him a little bit."
During an interview with New York Times in August, Taylor was very honest about his work commitments and demanding schedule which sees him constantly travelling across the world. "I was like: 'Look, this is not how it's going to be. I don't have this free time. I'm going to be traveling, like, every single week,'" he shared. " But I also said, 'You know, it's not a bad deal — you can travel all over the world, if you're up for it.'"
The tennis star - who is also a doting father to his seven-year-old son Jordan, whom he shares with ex-wife Raquel Pedraza – added: "She's very on me about eating healthy, getting lots of sleep… It's the little things that create a healthy routine for me, and that helps me perform better."
Grigor Dimitrov's girlfriend Madalina Ghenea
The Bulgarian athlete, who previously dated Nicole Scherzinger, went public with his romance with the Romanian actress last year. Madalina has been pictured in the box at various tournaments, including Wimbledon and the Madrid Open.
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The actress has previously been romantically linked to Hollywood stars such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Gerard Butler and Michael Fassbender. She played Sophia Loren in the series House of Gucci, and has also appeared alongside former Gossip Girl star Ed Westwick in Deep Fear.