Game, Set, Match: Could sports make all the difference in your search for love?
Get out those tennis whites because all’s fair in love and fifteen-love.
When sportspeople aren’t slinging it out at the courts or fields, they’re often featured in the news with their newest bae. Or perhaps their bae for life. We’ve seen all the IT couples. Roger Federer and his beloved wife, Minka Federer. LeBron and Savannah James. Sergio Ramos and Pilar Rubio … the list goes on. But there is a common theme running through these relationships. They are comprised of famous sportsperson and famous non-sportsperson. This is not surprising in the kitschy world of sports personalities, coming to think of it. Being at the height of sports prime and fame gets you some desirable benefits, one of them is rubbing shoulders with other successful and beautiful people (who don’t necessarily have to be sportspeople themselves). When viewed from this tangent, the roots for a blossoming romance are quite strong and readily accessible.
However, famous sportspeople and their respective #sportsbaes aside, could sport genuinely bring everyday people in their quest for love together? I had the pleasure of meeting with Tom*, a local Tennis coach here in Singapore, and sat down to chat about the juxtaposition of sports to love and how it could result in a more profound and fruitful experience for couples here:
Hi Tom. So, tell me more about your work as a tennis coach here in SG … how has it enriched you as a person and a professional?
Tennis coaching here has enabled me to stand on my own two feet, it has also helped me to be efficient and hard working. My motivation comes from seeing my students improve and/or enjoy the game but ideally, both. It is a great feeling to know I am actively contributing and making a difference to their tennis while being able to live and enjoy a good life in a foreign, international metropolis such as Singapore.
What does love mean to you?
Love is something that is natural, not forced and is developed over time and continuously worked on. It evolves yet is hard to come by.
Do you think sports has a place for finding love here? Why so?
Sports can help because it is a source of common interest for many people and I think common interests are somewhat essential for love so sport can be a platform which facilitates this in some cases. This could be even more true for Singapore due to its small land size, and thus sports communities are more modest and tighter by virtue. So finding love via this common interest could be made more possible.
But is it absolutely crucial? If sporting celebrities tend to prefer non-sporting celebrities as partners, then perhaps sports may not be the tie that brings them together. Perhaps those who play sports look for people who do not come from this realm because they want something different. For instance, maybe the athlete in the relationship wants someone with a keen interest in reading, fashion or film as talking about sports all the time could get tiring.
Conversely, the non-sporty partner could be attracted to some one who is more sporty because that’s what they are looking for. Either way, sports can end being the binding factor that brings couples together as it posthumously features and un-features from a relationship and dating in general. So, dear reader, do sign up for couples football or perhaps do some rock-climbing on your first date. It doesn’t hurt and the dividends are endless.
*Names have been changed for confidentiality purposes
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