BEING in a relationship doesn’t necessarily have to be about the sweet nothings and the love at first sight trope. Sometimes, it can begin with a common ground, such as interests, hobbies, and even work. In this season of love, we present to you five sports power couples who started out as complete strangers but eventually found each other in one main facet of their lives – their respective professions.
Sports Power Couples Proving That Love Is Not Just a Game
Laila Ali and Curtis Conway
She was a boxer while he’s been a football mainstay. Laila Ali is the daughter of the legendary Muhammad Ali, so it’s no surprise that she went 24-0 in her boxing career. Conway, on the other hand, played for the San Francisco 49ers, San Diego Chargers, Chicago Bears, and New York Jets. They married in 2007.
Mirka Vavrinec and Roger Federer
Mirka Vavrinec has been one of the most notable female tennis players but had to end her career because of a foot injury in 2002. Before that, she met Roger Federer in 2000 and they started to click not long after.
They tied the knot on April 11, 2009 while surrounded by their closest family and friends. Mirka gave birth to Charlene and Myla, their identical twin daughters. Five years later, she gave birth to their fraternal twin sons, Lenny and Leo, in 2014.
Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe
Football and basketball are where Rapinoe and Bird dominate, respectively. Rapinoe is an Olympic gold medalist and a two-time champion in the FIFA Women’s World Cup. On the other hand, Bird managed to take home four gold medals and win three championships in the WNBA since 2002.
It took a while before Bird and Rapinoe finally confirmed that they are indeed in a relationship. Since 2016, there have been a lot of speculations that they are romantically involved, but no real proof that indicates it was true.
After confirming their relationship, they had increased visibility, especially in fighting against social issues through activism. Some of the issues they are vocal about are police brutality, LGBTQ rights, equal pay for the female athletes, and racism, among others. Love definitely wins here!
Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi
The tennis field is definitely an area where love blooms, as evidenced by a lot of stories by amateurs and veterans alike.
Such is the case with 1992 Grand Slam winners Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf. As per tradition, the male and female winners are to dance together during the Wimbledon Ball. The event is held as part of the closing rites for this prestigious tennis championship.
At the time, Agassi already had a large crush on Graf, and attending the ball was a great way to have them “personally acquainted,” so to speak. It was after the 1999 French Open when they officially started dating.
The rest is history when they tied the knot nine years after their initial magical encounter. They are still going strong more than 20 years after that.
Within the same year after their marriage, they had a son who eventually found his passion in playing baseball. They had a daughter in 2003.
Lauren Cheney and Jrue Holiday
Cheney played for the US women’s national soccer team for eight years as a professional midfielder before she tied the knot with Holiday. During her career as an athlete, she won the Olympic gold medal at the FIFA World Cup championship. She was a star forward at the time and ended her career streak in 2015.
During this period, Holiday has just joined the Milwaukee Bucks basketball team and met Cheney. They became friends shortly after they met and began dating a little more after that. The couple married on July 7, 2013.
A year after she decided to start a family in 2015, Cheney started having massive headaches. It turned out she was suffering from a benign brain tumor while pregnant with their daughter. Holiday decided to miss the NBA regular season to care for his wife. It was in 2017 when the couple announced Cheney’s recovery from the ordeal.
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