Tennis stars' romance surprises fans during US Open match
The newest love match in the tennis world has come to light during the US Open.
During Dominic Thiem’s epic quarter-final defeat to Rafael Nadal on Wednesday (AEST), fellow tennis player Kristina Mladenovic was spotted in Thiem’s box.
Thiem and Mladenovic have been dating since late last year, and she was also spotted courtside during his French Open matches in May.
But with the US Open match broadcast on primetime TV in the States, many fans were only discovering the new romance for the first time.
Yes Kiki Mladenovic
— quiet_girl (@_eli_99) September 5, 2018
Mladenovic viendo a Thiem 😍
— Kuz🌹 (@angel_cabreralt) September 5, 2018
There's some random people at this #usopen match- Steve Kerr with a beard and Mladenovic.
— Matthew Wells (@heyitsrealdeal) September 5, 2018
I didn't know until tonight that Kiki Mladenovic and Dominic Thiem are dating.#USOpen
— Dan Meyer (@MeyersMusings) September 5, 2018
I keep forgetting Mladenovic and Thiem are a couple.
— 990208121314 (@iAmNELLEZ_) September 5, 2018
He dates Mladenovic.
— Bretthalamow (@bmf1314) September 5, 2018
When asked about the relationship earlier this year, Thiem replied with a big smile.
“I do not have to say anything about it, it’s obvious anyway,” he said.
A post shared by Kristina Mladenovic (@kristinamladenovic93) on May 12, 2017 at 3:40pm PDT
Thiem’s coach Gunter Bresnik also opened up about the new romance.
“It didn’t change anything for Dominic in terms of work ethic,” he said.
“This relationship is an advantage because Kristina accepts and understands things like a tennis professional.”
Thiem and Mladenovic join the likes of Maria Sharapova and Grigor Dimitrov, Lleyton Hewitt and Kim Clijsters, and Stan Wawrinka and Donna Vekic, as tennis-playing couples.
