After making his debut in 2020, Pavel Kotov has now attained the number 56 ranking on the men’s tour. With a wide range of on-court skills at his disposal, the Russian tennis star has outclassed some of the biggest names on the circuit. Aside from his performances on the court, Kotov’s private life and romantic relationship with his girlfriend have also drawn a lot of attention from the public.

Pavel Kotov has found love off the court. He has been in a relationship with Maria Kostova for quite some time now. With the couple keeping their relationship away from the media lens, there is not much information available about them. The Russian player’s girlfriend has often been seen in the stands, supporting him during his campaigns, including the clay court swing. Even during the Madrid Open, Kostova was there, accompanying her tennis star boyfriend, who got knocked out in the round of 32 fixtures.

In his Instagram post, Kotov was seen sharing an intimate moment with his girlfriend before he entered the stadium for his match. He also tagged Maria and added the caption, “I had so great time here🇪🇸🦾😸 And I want to thank everyone for the constant support you gave me, I appreciate it🫶 Muchas gracias, Madrid, hasta pronto!🦆” Kostova was also there during her boyfriend’s campaign in Rome, as witnessed by another social media post captioned, “Tennis is an art here🩶”

Given her recent appearances during the ATP player’s tournaments, it will not come as a huge surprise that Maria will also be there for Kotov’s campaign at the French Open, where he has brushed aside some of the big guns.

Pavel Kotov’s stellar run at the French Open

After a quarterfinal finish at the Lyon Open, the Russian player entered the Grand Slam event in Paris as an unseeded participant. In his opening-round match, Pavel Kotov managed to pull off a remarkable comeback against his 32-seeded British opponent, Cameron Norrie. After dropping the first set, Kotov went to turn the match in his favor, as he came out on top with a score of 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6, 6-2.

The Russian was then up against the 3-time singles Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka in the second round. In a four-set match (7-6, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6), Kotov clinched another brilliant victory to secure a place in the third-round fixtures of the Roland Garros. Now another big challenge awaits Kotov in Paris, as he will lock horns with the second-seeded Italian, Jannik Sinner. Do you think that Pavel Kotov can pull off another upset against the Italian tennis sensation? Let us know in the comments section.