Tennis stars aren’t the flashiest athletes in the world of professional sports. But when it comes to getting the hottest babes, these sportsmen have the advantage.
Whether sitting in the stands flipping their gorgeous manes, vigorously cheering on their beaus or simply standing in the shadows and letting their men shine, this crop of beauties is simply aces.
PHOTOS: LOVE ON AND OFF THE TENNIS COURT
With the US Open kicking off Monday in Queens, it’s time to meet the women playing doubles with the top players.
Whether she’s cheering on boyfriend Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon or accompanying him to a July gala, Jelena Ristic remains a stylish presence. (Getty Images)
Maria Francisca Perello, with Nadal’s mom Ana Maria Parera (center), courtside. (Europa Press via Getty Images)
Roger and Miroslava Federer met at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. (Getty Images)
David Ferrer plants an impromptu hug on camera-shy girlfriend Marta Tornel at November’s Paris Masters. (Getty Images)
THE MANE EVENT
KIM SEARS
Boyfriend: Andy Murray (No. 3 US Open seed; two Grand Slam titles)
When Murray became the first British player to win Wimbledon in 77 years, his gal pal of seven years almost stole the show — with her hair. Sears’ effortless blowout had more movement than Murray:
According to reports, the 25-year-old’s hairstyle is a top request in salons across the pond.
The hair icon, who is often compared to Kate Middleton for her poise and polish, met the 26-year-old Scot at a party in South Africa, where she was traveling with her father, Nigel, a well-known tennis coach, in 2006.
An artist known for her animal portraits, Sears shares a home in England with Murray and their two Border Terriers, Rusty and Maggie May (who has her own Twitter account, @maggiemay_hem, with over 24,000 followers). According to her Web site, Sears has a degree in English literature, but, in another life, would like to be a countrymusic superstar.
Either way, she’s the star of Murray’s show. He recently told the UK’s Mirror that Sears is the perfect tennis girlfriend: “She really understands the sport because she’s been around it from a young age.” We’re sure the hair doesn’t hurt, either.
THE FASHIONABLE FORCE
JELENA RISTIC
Boyfriend: Novak Djokovic (No. 1 US Open seed; six Grand Slam titles)
She wears Oscar de la Renta while rubbing elbows with boldfacers like Anna Wintour, Kate Hudson and Gerard Butler. But don’t be fooled by Ristic’s high-fashion style. There’s a whole lot of brains behind the beauty’s chiseled cheekbones and enviable wardrobe. The Belgrade native — who met her 26-year-old Serbian superstar boyfriend in high school — studied finance in Milan.
And while the stadium fixture is known for her incredibly intense game faces, she considers herself restrained in the stands.
“When I’m at home watching him on the TV, I get even more passionate because I know the cameras aren’t on me,” she has said.
That passion extends to her beau’s charity, the Novak Djokovic Foundation, which benefits underprivileged children in their home country. She is the organization’s director, and in early July, the 27-year-old threw a gala at London’s Roadhouse that drew a gaggle of celebs.
She also knows how to flaunt her assets. This summer, Ristic posed for lingerie company Figleaves.com’s summer line. Posing in a polka-dot onepiece and gauzy cover-ups, she told the site that she enjoys wearing caftans and her favorite song of the summer is Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky.”
Her beau won’t need luck with her on his arm.
THE HOMETOWN HONEY
MARIA FRANCISCA PERELLO
Boyfriend: Rafael Nadal (No. 2 US Open seed; 12 Grand Slam titles)
Spanish superstar Nadal’s constant companion is his uncle/coach, Toni Nadal. So fans were surprised when the 27-year-old went public with his longtime girlfriend, Maria Francisca Perello — or Xisca (pronounced Chiska), as she is known. The pair grew up together in the small Mallorcan town of Manacor.
Nadal’s gal of eight years must be the most secure girlfriend in the world because she doesn’t feel the need to accompany him to every tournament: “Traveling together everywhere, if I could, would not be good for him or for me,” the 25-year-old has said, according to International Business Times. “He needs his space when he is competing, and just the idea of me hanging around waiting on his needs all day wears me out. It would asphyxiate me.”
The slim, pretty brunette reportedly holds a business degree and works for a Mallorcan insurance company. When she does hit the stands, she’s dressed in classic jackets, crisp button-downs and trench coats. The low-key couple recently took in a Julio Iglesias concert in Barcelona in June, and were photographed frolicking on a yacht last month.
THE BOSS LADY
MIROSLAVA “MIRKA” FEDERER
Husband: Roger Federer (No. 7 US Open seed; 17 Grand Slam titles)
If any of these ladies has intimate knowledge of the rigors of tour life, it’s Miroslava Federer, née Vavrinec. The Slovakianborn spouse of Roger Federer (she immigrated to Switzerland at age 2) was also a professional tennis player, taking up the sport after meeting Martina Navratilova at a 1987 tournament in Germany.
The 35-year-old met her 32-year-old Swiss husband during the Sydney Olympics in 2000. Dogged by a foot injury, she retired in 2002, but she stayed in the game as Federer’s publicist and traveling companion.
The pair married in 2009, and four months later, Mirka gave birth to identical twin daughters, Myla Rose and Charlene Riva. The family is a constant presence in the stands.
And her influence isn’t lost on Federer, who has said of her: “She’s been a rock in my corner.”
THE BACKGROUND BABE
MARTA TORNEL
Boyfriend: David Ferrer (No. 4 US Open seed; no Grand Slam titles)
During the Masters 1000 in Paris last November, Spanish star Ferrer surprised fans by kissing longtime girlfriend Tornel in front of the cameras. Despite having long, dirty-blond locks and dimples that would make even Miranda Kerr envious, the optometrist normally eschews the spotlight.
Tornel, who was introduced to the tennis ace by her pal and Ferrer’s coach Javier Piles, seems to be on good footing with her beau. In a post-tournament interview, he once referred to her as his “future wife.” The pair live together in Valencia.
When Tornel’s not cheering on Ferrer, she’s working at her family’s optician shop outside the city.