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Rising Russian tennis star Anastasia Potapova says it is "very helpful" to be with someone like Alexander Shevchenko, who perfectly understands her position. Potapova and Shevchenko, both 22, have been dating for six months and so far both have been enjoying breakout seasons in 2023.
Potapova, ranked at No 25 in the world, won her second WTA title earlier this year in Linz and also achieved a career-high ranking of No 24 in April. On the other side, Shevchenko broke into the top-100 for the first time in April before also clinching his first ATP main draw wins at the Madrid Masters in early May.
“We’ve been dating for six months. Obviously, I didn’t know how it was going to work because scheduling in tennis is never easy. But somehow we’ve been able to manage it and in fact, it’s like we’ve spent every week together and we see each other a lot, which is a very good thing," Potapova told tennis.com.
Potapova on dating Shevchenko: He's helpful, understands me
“It’s really helpful to have someone who can support you, not just on your team, but someone you’re close to. He’s someone who not only knows tennis but also wants what is best for you.
Even if I play like s---, he’s still going to support me, so that’s very nice to have someone like this on the tour. He understands," Potapova added. Meanwhile, Shevchenko exited the French Open following a second-round defeat to Lorenzo Musetti.
But Shevchenko stayed at Roland Garros to support his girlfriend Potapova, who made the third round. On Friday, Potapova also exited the French Open after losing to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the third round. Last month in Madrid, Shevchenko made the third round as a qualifier before Daniil Medvedev edged him out in a thriller 4-6 6-1 7-5.
Potapova was in the stands and shared a message to her boyfriend after he nearly upset Medvedev. "Left all my heart, voice and soul today. So proud, keep doing your thing @shevchenkoo_17,” Potapova wrote on Instagram last month.