Meet the tennis energy couple taking part in combined doubles on the French Open

Stefanos Tsitsipas headed into the French Open among the favourites in a wide open men’s draw, but there was another topic fans were eager to hear from him on.

Were he and Paula Badosa back together?

The tennis power couple had announced their split on May 5, just under a year since their relationship went public.

Tsitsipas, the world number nine, confirmed at his pre-tournament press conference that the relationship, known as ‘Tsitsidosa’, is indeed back on.

‘We’re together. I will explain why some people make up different stories about us. Not that I care, but I think people shouldn’t take it that way,’ Tsitsipas said.

‘Paula didn’t do anything wrong, nor did I do anything wrong. It was hard for us being apart and I was going through some hard times too.

‘I would say that I didn’t manage it very well either, because I was feeling the pressure of the tour, of my work. It seemed like a mountain to combine these two [personal and professional life] and I made the decision to take a break.’

‘After two-three weeks I realised that she is a person who has supported me a lot and when she tried to talk to me about meeting I felt how intense the love we have for each other is.

‘I realised that this relationship I have with Paula is completely different from any other relationship I have had in the past, I feel that she is my person and we understand each other.

‘And that puts more value in everything I do and I want her by my side as often as possible. So yes, we’ve reconnected and we’re in a good moment.’

Tsitsipas’ confirmation came after what many fans had suspected after the pair had been spotted holding hands and taking an expensive car for a spin in Monaco – where he had triumphed at the Monte Carlo Masters. 

It was the second time they had been snapped enjoying each other’s company since Badosa released a statement announcing their split.

The Spaniard, who has been ranked as high as second in the world, had written that the pair had chosen to ‘move forward on our own paths.’

‘After careful consideration and many cherished moments together, Stefanos and I have decided to amicably part ways,’ she wrote. 

‘We have shared a journey filled with love and learning, and it is as friends with immense mutual respect that we now choose to move forward on our own paths.

‘As we transition into this new chapter of our lives, we continue to wish each other nothing but the best in all our endeavors.

‘We kindly ask for privacy during this time, and we thank you for your understanding and respect.’

Badosa had later expanded on the reasons around the split in an interview with Spanish newspaper AS.

The 26-year-old compared her relationship with Tsitsipas to the high-profile romance between Maria Sharapova and Grigor Dimitrov a decade ago.

Sharapova and Dimitrov were together for nearly two years before their much-documented split in 2015 during the Wimbledon Championships. 

Considering their stature within the game, the pair’s relationship caught the attention of many tennis fans around the world.

Sharapova, a five-time Grand Slam champion, admitted in 2015 that she realised that her relationship with Dimitrov was perhaps standing in the way of pursuing their professional careers.

‘I’m very proud of myself and how I’m doing,’ Badosa told AS. ‘This reminds me a lot of the story of Maria [Sharapova] and Grigor [Dimitrov], where you meet the right person but maybe at the wrong time. It’s a bit like that.

‘When we were great, the relationship was great. Other times we have our own careers, our own things, and sometimes it is better to separate.’

Badosa had refused to rule out a reconciliation in the future, but fans were perhaps surprised it took mere weeks for the relationship to be rekindled.

The star, who previously dated model Juan Betancourt, explained at a press conference that she wants the relationship to be more private than before.

‘It’s pretty clear that the relationship is working very well now,’ Badosa said.

‘It’s our private life and I think one of the things we didn’t like is that it was very public.

‘So now we want to keep things a little bit more on our own. I still understand that it’s not going to be easy because we are two public people.

‘People will ask, but we want to keep it more for ourselves. It’s never easy to combine our careers with that [our relationship].

‘So let’s just try and keep it simple for both of us because I think it helps and it’s healthier.’

The comments from Badosa, who was born in New York City but represents Spain, reflected how her relationship with Tsitsipas had arguably been the most high profile and talked about of the several couples at the top of the sport.

Part of that has been due to their abilities with Tsitsipas a two-time Grand Slam finalist – losing both to Novak Djokovic – and Badosa a former French Open quarter-finalist.

The other part was the extent to which they relationship exploded into the public eye last year, surprising tennis fans and players. 

Australian tennis player Daria Saville joked ‘that is is the hardest launch I’ve ever seen’ amid a flurry of content from the pair. Her comment came after the pair went from appearing to announce their relationship by profile pictures on Spotfiy to posting a flurry of photos and videos from a joint Instagram account.

The couple had shared videos of them working out together in a pool in Dubai, something that prompted a quip from tennis legend John McEnroe during Wimbledon.

‘Training, oh is that what it is? Is that training, Clare?’ he told host Clare Balding, on the BBC. 

The joint account had featured gushing captions, with the biography having read ‘Best friends & soulmates. Nothing less; nothing more.’

Badosa also went viral after oversharing a her steamy dream she had about Tsitsipas.

 ‘I was injured in Australia. I watched his match, the final. Of course I had jet lag because I was in Spain. I decided to watch that match,’ she said.

‘Surprising, because I never dream about tennis players, but I dreamt about him that night, that we were both winning Australian Open.

‘Then it was like we were having a very romantic moment, but I’m not going to explain. I’m just going to leave it there. (Laughter).’

Her desire for the relationship to become more private has been reflected by the decision not to resurrect their joint Instagram account, which boasted 87,000 followers at the time it was deleted last month.

While public displays of affection may become less frequent, the couple are unlikely to remain out of the spotlight.

Notably Badosa and Tsitsipas will play together for the first time at a Grand Slam after opting to enter the mixed doubles at the French Open. 

‘Paris holds a special place for me and Paula, that’s where he had our first date right before Roland-Garros last year,’ Tsitsipas said. ‘Our anniversary occurs here, so for us it was a no-brainer to play our first mixed doubles in Roland-Garros.

Their previous plan to play the mixed doubles at Wimbledon last year were ended by an injury sustained by Badosa.

Badosa revealed on the WTA Insider Podcast in April that doctors have told her ‘it would be complicated’ to continue her career amid a chronic back injury. The Spaniard herself admitted having ‘three of four more years would be amazing’.

‘I have spoken to a lot of people, including players who had to retire because of this injury,’ Badosa added after her French Open first round win over Britain’s Katie Boulter.

‘I never know how I’m going to wake up and there are days when I wake up in pain. Today I had pain. I’m proud of the way I’ve been fighting but right now I feel completely lost about this injury.’

Her admission prompted a question over the decision to enter the mixed doubles with Tsitsipas – who she has cited as a source of support through her injury – in addition to a singles campaign.

The question led to the Spaniard joking at her partner’s expense.

‘On the rest day I trained and I thought that with this I could improve my tennis. My team thought it was a good idea to play and, of course, in this case the mixed because of the relationship we have,’ Badosa said.

‘My partner is going to do a lot of work and help me in that aspect. I think it helps me improve and even more so from the competitive part. He will work for me so I don’t have to run much. It’s good to practice.’

While meant in a light-hearted way, the mixed doubles adds to a packed schedule for Tsitsipas at Roland Garros.

The Greek star will be bidding to manage his commitments across three events, after also entering the men’s doubles with his brother Petros.

There is little doubt the entry to the mixed doubles will attract the attention of fans, who will continue to track the fortunes of Tsitsidosa on and off the court.