A former tennis star has confirmed that one player slid into her DMs 10 times before giving up, and she was not afraid to name and shame the mystery ace
Anna Kalinskaya has labelled Holger Rune “hopeless”, after alleging that he messaged her 10 times before finally giving up. The Russian tennis ace, the WTA No.32, who previously dated four-time Major winner Jannik Sinner, has revealed that several of her fellow tennis stars had tried to woo her, but one was more persistent than others.
Asked whether players tried to ask her on any dates, the 26-year-old told First&Red: “Tennis players, more often before. Now I’m older, I don’t know, so…”For some, it’s just no chance at all, no need to write. Someone wrote like 10 times and then gave up.”
When asked to reveal the identity of the mystery player, Kalinskaya – whose former flame was beaten in the final of the US Open at the weekend by Carlos Alcaraz – named the Dane, saying: “I’ll say it now, but just… Holger Rune.”
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She added: “He writes to everyone. He deserves all this. Thinks too much of himself, maybe he’s just that hopeless. But he’s not the only one!”
Rune has since responded, suggesting that his messages were not intended to be romantic. He tweeted: “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 on a date, I ask for a date. Don’t worry.”
Kalinskaya was previously in a relationship with world No. 2 Sinner.
Their romance became public knowledge in May 2024, and they were frequently seen supporting each other at matches. However, they decided to part ways a year later.
Since breaking up, Sinner has gone on to win Wimbledon and reached two other Grand Slam finals at Roland Garros and the US Open. He has since been linked to model Laila Hasanovic.
On the other hand, Kalinskaya is smitten with a new companion; she has been seen with a new furry friend in her box – an adorable pooch named Bella.
She expressed her gratitude to Bella during her runner-up speech in Washington a few weeks ago, and the pup has been spotted frolicking around chasing tennis balls while Kalinskaya is practising on the courts.
But she recently revealed that Bella was, in fact, her boyfriend’s dog. The Russian star turned up to shoot a DoorDash advertisement ahead of the US Open before learning that they wanted the pooch involved, and was happy to oblige.