SBOTY
Sporting couples: Sport’s greatest love affairs
The world of sport has hosted a multitude of legendary partnerships. From Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic to Michael Schumacher and Ross Brawn, every game has its own iconic duo. But what about romantic pairings? As well as on-field partnerships, sport also features some of the strongest power couples of our time. Ahead of Valentine’s Day, we run through the most famous among them.
Roger Federer and Mirka Federer
Tennis star Roger Federer met former tennis professional Mirka Vavrinec (now Federer) representing Switzerland at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. In March 2009, Roger and Mirka revealed they were expecting their first child and married weeks later. That July, Mirka gave birth to twin girls. In May 2014, lightning struck twice when the couple welcomed twins again. The only difference was that this time they were boys.
Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe
Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird have both enjoyed glittering careers in their respective sports. Rapinoe is a two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup winner and Olympic gold medallist, catapulted to international fame by a high-profile spat with U.S. President Donald Trump. Bird has been a member of the WNBA’s Seattle Storm for nearly two decades, winning three WNBA championships and four Olympic gold medals along the way. The pair have been dating since 2016 and became the first same-sex couple to make the cover of ESPN’s “The Body Issue.”
Ana Ivanovic and Bastian Schweinsteiger
Bastian Schweinsteiger was a German footballer who played for his country’s most decorated club, Bayern Munich, before winning a World Cup title in 2014. He married Ivanovic, a former No. 1 tennis player, French Open champion and golfer Adam Scott’s ex, in 2016 during a glamorous ceremony at Venice’s world-famous Palazzo Cavalli. The pair disappeared into the proverbial sunset: Schweinsteiger was just a week out from the end of his international career at Euro 2016 and Ivanovic retired just a few months later.
Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi
Probably the greatest sporting couple on this list for both their talent and longevity is Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi. What makes their story all the more remarkable is that they took the first steps towards a long and loving relationship when conversing while they were both Wimbledon champions at the Wimbledon Champions’ Ball in 1992. Some 28 years on and they are married and have two children together, not to mention 30 Grand Slams between them.
Lindsey Vonn and Tiger Woods
When it comes to a sporting couple’s combined talent, can any other relationship come close to Lindsey Vonn and Tiger Woods? Skier Vonn and golfer Woods are among the greatest names to have ever competed in their respective sports – just imagine how talented their children would have been. Sadly though, two years after they had first started dating in 2013, the sporting power couple were no more.
Caroline Wozniacki and Rory McIlroy
She was the star tennis player and he was the star golfer. Caroline Wozniacki and Rory McIlroy’s relationship looked to be a match made in heaven when they got together in 2011 and one to get the media really excited. Three years later they were engaged – but not for long. Just a few months after Wozniacki had announced the engagement on social media, McIlroy had brought the relationship to a close, reportedly through a phone call.
Stephanie McMahon and Triple H
If we can class WWE and wrestling as a sport, then Stephanie McMahon and Triple H have to make the cut. McMahon was going out with fellow wrestler Test, at least according to the WWE storyline, before Triple H stole her and took her to a Las Vegas church to wed her. The duo later got divorced, or so the storyline went, after a lie about being pregnant, before McMahon and Triple H then actually married in real life. They have since lived happily ever after.
Chris Evert and Greg Norman
Chris Evert and Greg Norman met some time after both of their star sporting careers had come to an end. Tennis player Evert and golfer Norman were both long retired when they married in 2008, yet by the end of 2009 they were divorced. A whirlwind romance that may not have been helped by Norman being best friends with Evert’s previous husband of 18 years, former skier Andy Mill.
