Anna Kalinskaya says she's open to love on tour after revealing messages from Holger Rune
Russian player says a top-20 ATP star sent repeated DMs; Rune says his comments were misunderstood
Anna Kalinskaya said she is open to the idea of finding love while on the tennis tour and disclosed that a top-20 ATP player repeatedly messaged her before being rebuffed, a revelation that has prompted a swift response from the player named.
The 26-year-old Russian, speaking on the First&Red podcast with Anna Chakvetadze, said several male players had contacted her on social media and that one sent messages "like 10 times and then gave up." She identified that player as Holger Rune, the world No. 11.
Kalinskaya said she is not opposed to relationships on tour if they are healthy and based on mutual emotional maturity. "No, I think it lifts you up if it is a healthy relationship and emotionally both people are mature and understand what is good for their partner," she said. She added that the pressures of public life make such relationships difficult, noting that two well-known athletes cannot easily move about anonymously.
Rune responded on the social platform X, saying cultural differences had created a misunderstanding and that his comments were not intended as a date request. "Ha ha ha. We might have cultural differences that make Anna read a comment on a story as an invitation to a date. If I want to go for a date, I ask for a date. Don't worry," he wrote.
The exchange has drawn attention in part because of Kalinskaya's past high-profile relationships. She was linked to Australian Nick Kyrgios in 2020, a relationship that lasted months, and she was publicly connected to Jannik Sinner during his rise to world No. 1 in 2024. Kalinskaya and Sinner were photographed embracing after his U.S. Open victory in September 2024, though Sinner later confirmed he was single and suggested his career required a degree of stability.
Kalinskaya said agents do not influence players' private lives, calling work and personal life separate spheres: "Agents do not have nothing to do with relationships. Work is work, personal life is personal life. Off court it's different, no one decides for us."
While declining to name her current partner on the podcast, Kalinskaya said he is not an athlete and works in finance. Media reports and on-court sightings this season have linked her with Tomas Ferrari, a businessman she dated in 2021 who has attended tournaments in Madrid, Indian Wells and Miami and been seen courtside. She said she would not be with someone with "zero interest" in her profession but added that her partner "loves sports." Ferrari has been photographed with Kalinskaya and with her dog at recent events.
Kalinskaya's comments come as questions persist about the balance between private life and professional focus for elite athletes. She argued that a mature, supportive relationship can bolster a player's performance rather than hinder it, so long as both partners understand each other's needs and do not allow ego to interfere.
The brief public disagreement between Kalinskaya and Rune underscores the scrutiny surrounding players' off-court interactions in the social media age. Rune's denial framed the interaction as a cultural misread of a comment, while Kalinskaya said the direct messages were a clear attempt to initiate contact. Neither player suggested the exchange affected on-court schedules, and both remain active on the tour this season.