Jannik Sinner and Anna Kalinskaya are more private than other tennis couples, but the Italian spoke about his girlfriend in a recent interview.
Sinner and Kalinskaya began dating this year. It is one of several events that have happened to the ATP world no. 1 during an eventful season that saw him win the US Open and Australian Open.
However, Sinner could be banned after the World Anti-Doping Agency appealed the International Tennis Integrity Agency's decision to clear him after twice testing positive for the banned substance clostebol.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport is not expected to deliver a verdict until early 2025. The continuation of that stressful ordeal means Sinner could use as much support as possible to keep himself focused.
Sinner has openly discussed his coach Darren Cahill's significant role in protecting him after learning of his positive clostebol tests at the Indian Wells Open in March.
Although the exact date Sinner and Kalinskaya began dating is unknown, it is estimated to be some time after March. That means the WTA star would have only privately learned about the Italian's doping case afterward.
Sinner has spoken previously about how he and Kalinskaya try to support each other. He admits they are different players on the court, but that does not stop them from giving each other positive energy off it.
That was demonstrated when Sinner and Kalinskaya shared a kiss after he won the US Open, beating the home favorite Taylor Fritz in a very one-sided final at Flushing Meadows.
One man who does not seem to be coping well with Sinner dating Kalinskaya is Nick Kyrgios, who used to date her. The controversial Australian was slammed for tweeting "second serve" on X (formerly Twitter), referencing that he used to date Kalinskaya.
That extremely distasteful tweet led to former player and respected analyst Andrea Petkovic heavily criticizing Kyrgios, accusing him of "self-sabotaging with misogynist nonsense" in a piece on Substack.
Rather than focusing on remarks like that from Kyrgios, the calm and composed Sinner prefers to think about the positive aspects of his relationship, which he did during a recent interview with Esquire.
Sinner said he had not changed since he began dating Kalinskaya. The Italian believes he cannot afford to do that and thinks remaining the same person while dating her shows the relationship works well.
"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, that's why it works."
Sinner and Kalinskaya have not shown any visible changes in their behavior since they began dating. The two are much more private than fellow tennis couple Stefanos Tsitispas and Paula Badosa.
However, that seems to work well for the pair, and that is what counts. Kalinskaya could be in the stands again to support Sinner at the ATP Finals.