Tennis returns to the love couples era as Annabel Croft speaks out on Katie Boutler and Co

Tennis has gone back to the sexy 70s and 80s with love matches on and off the court, according to Strictly star Annabel Croft.

Zendaya’s summer smash hit Challengers tells the story of a steamy three-way relationship.

But stars have been coupling up since the days of Chris Evert, Jimmy Connors, Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf - and mixed doubles are now back in vogue.

New world No.1 Jannick Sinner and Russian Anna Kalinskaya have recently gone public about their relationship while world No.11 Stefanos Tsitsipas has got back with Spain’s Paola Badosa.

British No.1 Katie Boulter has been going out with Alex de Minaur since 2020 - and played the Wimbledon mixed doubles together last year - and now there is another Anglo-Aussie pairing with Katie Swan and Alex Bolt.

Canadian Denis Shapovalov is now engaged to Swede Mirjam Bjorklund while Frenchman Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina of Ukraine are now married with a young child.

Former British No.1 Croft, now a BBC commentator, said: “It's fun to watch and people love gossip. It reminds me of when I was a kid and my parents booked my tickets to the Love Doubles in Battersea Park. It was Björn Borg and his fiancee Mariana Simionescu playing a charity match against John Lloyd and Chris Evert. It was really fun.

“Tennis players have a very circus lifestyle. And in my day, it was a very separate women's tour and the two tours only came together four times a year at the Grand Slams.

"You never had the opportunity to meet people. Whereas now they're in these tournaments which are two week events longer. So there's more opportunity. And when they do get together, there's a greater understanding of what you're doing. It helps that your partner knows how difficult losses are.”

Boulter, 27, has stated her relationship with world No.9 De Minaur, 25, has only helped her game - and they both won titles on the same day last month. (June)

“I have learned so much from him - how he works, how he trains,” said the No.32 seed.

The Aussie said: "Katie has helped me out a lot with finding perspective, not being so driven, not to live or die by match results, which were everything for me."

Sinner and Kalinskaya both reached finals in Germany the week before Wimbledon and the Russian said: “I'm just trying to be a little bit as good as him!”

But Challengers is another story. “ I am a huge fan of Zendaya and it was a pretty cool movie,” laughed Boulter.

“The relationship stuff? Oh, I don't know, I don't get involved in that. I am set in my ways one way, and I'm very happy. Me and Alex are doing great!”

Andy Murray, married with four children, went to see Challengers with his wife Kim. “We had seen brilliant reviews, but I didn’t really understand it to be honest,” he said.