Tennis stars were quizzed recently as to who they would cast as Barbie and Ken on the ATP and WTA Tours.
Quickly many picked out Paula Badosa to play the role of Barbie, who was brought to life in the box-office hit by Margot Robbie, the Australian actress Tsitsipas is enamoured with.
But when it came to choosing a Ken it was Norwegian ace Casepr Ruud, rather than Badosa’s real-life boyfriend in Tsitsipas, that got the nod.
No harm done from the quickfire game though as Tsitsipas and Badosa, known colloquially via their shared Instagram account as Tsitsidosa, are as loved up as ever.
Since bowing out of Wimbledon earlier in the summer, tennis’ power couple have taken holidays in Madrid, Monte Carlo and the Greek island of Hydra. They have taken in a Harry Styles concert and also got to enjoy the perks of strolling around the Lower East Side in New York this week, prior to Tsitsipas’ second round US Open exit.
It was back in Rome in May, during the Italian Open, that the couple began talking, ahead of Badosa taking on Ons Jabeur. The rest, as they say, is history.
Both are deeply in love but it was Tsitsipas that was the quicker to find himself attached, after it was revealed he was the first to say ‘I love you’ and initiated their first kiss.
A running joke between the couple’s fans is who writes their joint Instagram captions. The more romantic the words, the more roads lead to Tsitsipas.
Take a post from their Monte Carlo trip last month.
Alongside a late-night photo of the couple about to share a kiss beneath fireworks, the caption reads: ‘Love your life with intensity. Express your adoration to your beloved. Engage warmly with strangers you meet. Embrace challenges that stir your soul. Remember, time passes swiftly, and our deeds may fade away. So, savor every moment spent with your beloved, weaving an extraordinary tale of love. Be present, and make every heartbeat count.’
Another snap, taken in a dive bar in Madrid, was a shot at their critics and those jealous of their thriving relationship.
‘We’re criticised, but all your bullets ricochet,’ the caption read, a play on the lyrics of Titanium by DJ David Guetta.
It was at Wimbledon where their relationship really grabbed headlines, not least thanks to Badosa revealing she had had a sex dream about her beau.
And so when their commitments at SW19 were over – their planned bid to play together in mixed doubles was ended due to injury to Badosa – they switched off, heading to Madrid to watch the concert of Harry Styles.
From there they travelled to Tsitsipas’ homeland of Greece, specifically the luxury island getaway of Hydra, where they joined up with other members of his family.
It was there that the couple held an Instagram Live Q&A to dish the details on their relationship to their legion of fans.
‘I didn’t even say hello to her!’ Tsitsipas laughed, reflecting on how he ended up dating one of his fellow competitors. A nod from Badosa confirmed his version of events.
‘All that until one day I started waving at her. She thought I was the most arrogant guy on earth.’
Badosa jumped in: ‘I was thinking to myself, what’s wrong with this guy? He was walking by and he wasn’t even looking at me.’
But his behaviour, he insisted, was perfectly understandable.
‘Think how nervous I was and I didn’t even say good morning to her,’ he added. ‘But now those days are in the past. I say hello to her and give her flowers.’
Rarely an event goes by now where Tsitsipas doesn’t seize the opportunity to talk up how much he loves Badosa.
In an interview with ESTO at the Los Cabos Open tournament in Mexico recently, the Greek star was gushing when asked about his girlfriend.
‘I changed my life because Paula Badosa brought a bright light into it, and I did the same for her,’ he said.
‘I’ll be completely honest, I’ve never been more excited about the future, both in my private life and in my professional life. I really want to make the most of it.’
‘It’s a love story, it’s so beautiful and I’m super happy for Paula,’ Aryna Sabalenka, fellow tennis star and a close friend of Badosa’s, told Tennis Channel.
‘I spoke to her and she’s super happy and I’m happy for her.’
A summer trip to the Greek island of Hydra allowed the loved-up couple to grow even closer
She furrowed her brow, roared in support and gave a fist pump as she watched from his player box. There was no bigger fan rooting for the Greek than Badosa.
The Spaniard spoke to the Associated Press about what it was like to support Tsitsipas from the sidelines recently.
‘Watching it from the outside, maybe I get a little bit more nervous, because I cannot control it,’ she said.
‘But I’m happy that he got the win, and it was a crazy match. Happy that we both got through first round.’
With the final Slam of the year now out of the way for the two of them they will once again be joined at the hip – not that they had much time apart in the Big Apple – and expect plenty more photos of their escapades together to emerge on Instagram.
Barbie and Ken? Not quite. But the it couple of tennis? You bet.
