Over the years, we have seen many interesting seeds of love sow in the tennis world. Take the recent example of Alex de Minaur and Katie Boulter. The former traveled miles to be with his girlfriend while she was playing in the final of the San Diego Open, eventually winning the title. Another such story is of Russian tennis stars Veronika Kudermetova and Sergei Demekhine.
The two started dating when Kudermetova was still in her teen years. Later, in 2017, she tied the knot with him in a private ceremony. Along with their personal bond, the two were also connected professionally.
Demekhine was the childhood coach of Veronika Kudermetova
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Kudermetova took to tennis at a young age and met Demekhine on the way. When the Russian star was just 15, Demekhine became his coach. Over the years, the professional bond between them developed into a personal one. Three years later, the duo started dating. However, there was a major concern surrounding their relationship.
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Demekhine was 13 years older than Kudermetova, and it did concern the latter’s parents, especially Kudermetova’s mother. However, their adorable bond proved that age was no barrier to their relationship. Demekhine continues to coach his wife and the two have formed an inseparable bond since.
Interestingly, Demekhine also coached renowned player, Vera Zvonareva. Under his guidance, she reached a couple of Grand Slam finals and also went on to achieve World No. 2 ranking. Meanwhile, Kudermetova has excelled in both singles as well as doubles. Demekhine has been a strong pillar of support in her career. In the early days of their relationship, Kudermetova had an interesting story to share.
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Kudermetova was once ‘ashamed’ of dating Demekhine
A few years ago, in an interview, the Russian star described her bond with Demekhine and how their relationship grew over the years. She said, “At the age of 16 I just liked him but I didn’t even think about anything more. Probably, it’s my upbringing that affected.”
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Further, she went on to add, “Such thoughts had been unacceptable to me. Even when I turned 18 and we started dating, sometimes I was still ashamed because of the age difference and the fact that he was my coach.”
Kudermetova is currently plying her trade in the Charleston Open. She will play her singles quarterfinal against Maria Sakkari later today.