Jannik Sinner will likely have fellow tennis star Anna Kalinskaya amongst those cheering him on this weekend. Sinner, 23, defends his Australian Open title in the final against German ace Alex Zverev on Sunday (January 26) at 8:30am UK time.
It has been another incredible tournament for the World No.1, who emphatically saw off United States prodigy Ben Shelton 7-6, 6-2, 6-2 in the semi-final. But some of the more tense moments of his recent career have come away from the court with his other half.
While WTA No.16 Kalinskaya and ATP top seed Sinner have done their best to keep details about their relationship private, there have been numerous instances where they were the talk of the tennis world amongst fans. Express Sport takes a look at their intriguing partnership.
There is a notable three-year age difference between the two. Sinner is one of the younger players on the ATP tour at 23 years old, while Kalinskaya is more experienced on the court and in life at the age of 26.
Neither player has spoken about the slight age gap as they have both avoided talking about their relationship in public. Kalinskaya has dated fellow pro Nick Kyrgios in the past.
The pair split up in 2020, when Sinner would have only been around 19 years old. Kalinskaya and Kyrgios had the same age gap, except it was the Australian who was the elder by three years.
As much as they try to avoid headlines with their relationship, Sinner and Kalinskaya sometimes cannot help but create new ones. While there is plenty of mystery around their time together, tennis fans have also interpreted several things as being signals that they have broken up with each other.
Speaking on the matter previously, Sinner said: “Whether or not I am with a girl will never be known on social media, because I want to keep my private life private. I don’t need to post a photo to show whether I’m engaged. I never posted pictures with my parents, maybe one with my brother.”
Kalinskaya and Sinner unfollowed each other on social media after Sinner said in a November 2024 interview with Esquire: “I don’t think anything has changed. Having a girlfriend is something that either makes you feel good or makes you feel bad. I want it to be something that feels very natural, which comes into my life normally. I can’t afford to change as a player or as a person. That hasn’t happened, and that’s why it works.”
Some tennis fans also think the pair are no longer, with many suggesting they may both be playing the role of supportive exes.
Kalinskaya may be one of the best tennis players in the world, but the Russian has also attracted a lot of interest from athletes outside of the sport. She previously said she has sometimes had footballers try and swoon her on social media.
She revealed this during a question-and-answer exchange on Instagram. When asked if she has ever had any other athletes or famous people reach out, she replied: “I don’t know, probably some football player. So I’m not gonna…. I don’t know, too many football players. So, I didn’t reply.”
The only other famous person she has had a relationship with, as mentioned earlier, is Kyrgios. When there were suggestions that the often fiery Aussie may have been the person behind the break-up, she came to his defence on social media and said: “He did nothing.
“He is a good person and I didn’t mean to comment about him. I don’t know why people think it’s about him. He is a great player and nice person.”
