Ever wonder what it’s really like to be a professional athlete? Sure, they have the talent and fame, but there’s also the wealth and, let’s be honest, an endless parade of stunning partners who seem to follow them around. From the glamorous life of supermodel Gisele Bündchen to A-lister Gabrielle Union, it’s like an exclusive VIP club where even high school sweethearts like Brittany Matthews and TV personalities like Melanie Collins can strike gold. Intrigued? Let’s take a peek behind the curtain at some of the power couples in the sports world that redefine goals—both on and off the field. And who knows, you might just find yourself daydreaming about what your partner’s dad really thought when the golf champ came a-calling for his daughter’s hand! If you’re curious enough to join the revelry, LEARN MORE.
Professional athletes seem to have it all — talent, wealth, and the love of gorgeous women from around the world.
From supermodel Giselle Bündchen and actress Gabrielle Union to high school sweetheart Brittany Matthews and TV host Melanie Collins, these wives and girlfriends have captured the hearts of athletes from all different playing fields.
Many people will recognize the last name of Paulina Gretzky. Her father is one of the greatest hockey players of all time and the man who allowed professional golfer Dustin Johnson to ask his daughter’s hand in marriage.
While Gretzky didn’t take to the ice like her father, she found her footing in modeling and singing.
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Actress Gabrielle Union is no stranger to the spotlight. So after meeting former Miami Heat shooting guard Dwyane Wade at a Super Bowl party in 2009, the two decided to keep their relationship to themselves (for two years!).
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As of 2014, Union and Wade are happily married. The best part is that Wade is very supportive of Union’s career, joining her for more than one red carpet appearance to promote her various projects.
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Antonella Roccuzzo and professional soccer player Lionel Messi have known each other since they were five years old. Childhood sweethearts, the couple fell in love and got married in 2017. As of 2022, they have three sons together.
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Roccuzzo’s story is interesting, as she went to university to study dentistry before switching over to social communications. As of 2016, she has a modeling contract with the Argentine fashion label Ricky Sarkany. Talk about a shift in career paths!
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Hannah Jeter might be the wife of former New York Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter, but the gorgeous lady is known for more than her 2016 marriage in Napa Valley. In 2015, Hannah was featured on the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition cover.
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She also hosted Project Runway: Junior for three years, from 2015 until 2017.
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After dating NFL quarterback A.J. McCarron, Katherine Webb hit the jackpot and married him in 2014. A former beauty pageant contestant, Webb was corned Miss Alabama in 2012 before making it to the Top 10 of the Miss USA competition that same year.
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When she’s not cheering on her star husband, Webb is a devout mother, taking care of their three children.
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Brooklyn Decker has made quite a career for herself aside from being married to former professional tennis player Andy Roddick since 2009. She is not only a model, having appeared in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition, but she also made her way to the silver screen.
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Decker has appeared in movies such as Battleship and Just Go With It and TV shows, including Ugly Betty and The League.
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In 2012, Anna Burns married former NFL wide receiver Wes Welker, known for playing on the San Diego Chargers, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, and St. Louis Rams.
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Burns is a former swimsuit model and Miss Hooter pageant winner, securing the crown for the competition back in 2005.
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Georgina Rodríguez met soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo when she was 22 years old, leaving her shift as a salesperson at a Gucci store. The two have been together since 2016 and have three children together.
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Ronaldo’s beautiful lady is a Spanish model and has her own show on Netflix, I Am Georgina.
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Candice Crawford began dating former Dallas Cowboy quarterback Tony Romo in the summer of 2009, getting engaged a year later. As of 2022, they have three children together.
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While some in her family went into acting (her brother is Chase Crawford), Candice hit the beauty pageant circuit, being crowned Miss Missouri USA in 2008.
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Actress Elisha Cuthbert has been married to former professional hockey player Dion Phaneuf since 2013. The couple has two children together. Cuthbert is arguably best known for her title role in the film The Girl Next Door, shooting her into “bombshell” territory with news sources,
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Her resume doesn’t stop there, with Cuthbert appearing in numerous films and television shows after the 2004 teen comedy.
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Lauren Tannehill was at the right place at the right time, meeting Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill while on spring break in Panama City, Florida. At the time, they were both attending Texas A&M.
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After three years of dating, the two love birds tied the knot in Mexico. Lauren loves to model when she is not cheering on her husband with their two children.
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Arguably one of the most famous professional athlete wives is supermodel Gisele Bündchen, married to NFL quarterback and the GOAT, Tom Brady. The two have been married since 2009 and have two children together, including one from Brady’s previous relationship.
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Bündchen is best known for changing the modeling industry, debuting a more healthy-looking model with a tan and toned muscles.
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People might recognize Samantha Ponder as the host of ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown, College GameDay, and Thursday Night College Football. She’s also worked as an NBA sideline reporter!
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After a short dating period, Ponder married former NFL quarterback Christian Ponder, taking his last name and officially debuting it while hosting her various shows in 2013, starting with her broadcast of the CapitalOne Bowl.
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A sports broadcaster, Melanie Collins, has seen a lot of close-up action on the field. She is best known for her NFL sideline reporting for CBS Sports and hosting Golf Channel’s Big Break and Driver vs. Driver.
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While Collins has been linked to NHL star James Neal, little is known about their relationship. Collins is notoriously tight-lipped about her personal life.
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Former professional ice hockey player Mike Fisher first met country music superstar Carrie Underwood in 2008 while backstage at one of her concerts. Clearly, it did not take long for the athlete to fall in love with the singer, as they were married a year later.
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On the RIAA’s Top Artists (Digital Singles) ranking, Underwood is the highest-certified female country artist of all time.
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Country-pop singer Jessie James Decker married former NFL wide receiver Eric Decker in 2013 when he was playing for the Denver Broncos. While Eric might be retired, Jessie is still all about her music.
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In 2020, she revealed she’d be releasing a Christmas single; something fans were very excited to hear. Jessie released another in 2021, “Christmas Every Day.” From 2013 until 2017, the couple also starred in their own reality show, Eric & Jessie: Game On.
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While attending a church youth group, Ayesha Curry met Warrior basketball superstar Steph Curry; they were 15 and 14 years old, respectively. The two began dating years later before finally trying the knot in 2011.
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Ayesha is an actress, a cookbook author, and has her own show on the Food Network, Ayesha’s Homemade (also known as Ayesha’s Home Kitchen).
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Pop singer and Spice Girl Victoria Beckham, aka Posh Spice, became a force in the fashion industry after her time on stage with the girl group. Although, during her time as the iconic Posh Spice, she met professional soccer player David Beckham.
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The two have been married since 1999 and have four children together.
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It’s not every day that two world-class athletes find one another, but professional basketball and soccer players Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe get to boast just that! While Bird plays on the court for WNBA’s Seattle Storm, Rapinoe is on the field as captain of the NWSL’s OL Reign.
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The couple announced their engagement in 2020!
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While attending Whitehouse High School in Texas, Brittany Matthews and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes began dating. The high school sweethearts went on to get married in 2022 and have one daughter together.
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While Mahomes is on the field, Matthews takes care of their daughter and also runs her fitness company, Brittany Lynne Fitness.
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Beauty pageant queen and fashion influencer Olivia Culpo went on to win Miss Universe after securing the crown for both Miss Rhode Island and Miss USA. From there, she made her way into the influencer scene.
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Since the summer of 2019, she has been dating Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey.
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Talent attracts talent. At least, that’s the case with singer Ciara and Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson. The two superstars began dating in 2015 before tying the knot on July 6, 2016, at Peckforton Castle in Cheshire, England.
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Ciara is known for her songs “Goodies,” “1, 2 Step,” and her feature in Missy Elliot’s “Lose Control.”
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Professional volleyball player Jessica Gysin began dating former NFL quarterback Jimmy Clausen in 2012. The two tied the knot a few years later, in 2015.
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An outside hitter, Gysin is the only volleyball player to have the privilege of teaming up with two-time Olympic Gold Medalist Kerry Walsh in the United States.
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MLB third baseman Evan Longoria met Jaime Edmondson in 2010. A few years later, in 2015, the two tied the knot. As of 2022, they have three children together.
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Edmondson doesn’t come from a sports background but is still pretty athletic. She was a contestant on seasons 14 and 18 of The Amazing Race.
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In 2017, Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters began dating NFL quarterback Tim Tebow. It was during her reign as Miss Universe. After dating for a few years, the two were married in 2020, about an hour outside of her hometown of Cape Town, South Africa.
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While she is no longer in the pageant circuit, Demi-Leigh spends her time working with Unbreakable, a foundation that helps women and empowers them to use “practical skills and knowledge on how to handle dangerous situations,” according to her personal website.
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Amanda McCarthy first met former MLB pitcher Brandon McCarthy back in 2008. Two short years later, they tied the knot. From there, they have lived a happy life and have one child together.
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While Amanda does not work professionally, she loves her job as a homemaker, caring for their daughter.
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Leila Lopes married former NFL defensive end Osi Umenyiora in 2015. They have one son together. Lopes is known for her run in the beauty pageant circuit, having won the Miss Angola UK crown in 2010 and the Miss Angola crown the same year.
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Her biggest victory on the stage, though, was when she won the title of Miss Universe 2011.
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In 2011, actress Noureen DeWulf married professional hockey player Ryan Miller who acts as a goaltender in the NHL. The two married in Los Angeles, California, and have one child together.
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People might recognize DeWulf for her work on the small screen, namely for her lead role as Lacy in the sitcom Anger Management.
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When Elaine Alden-Fields met former basketball player Landry Fields in 2012, she worked as a model. Just one year later, the couple announced their engagement, eventually getting married in 2014.
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Before giving birth to their sons, Alden-Fields continued her work as a model before becoming a stay-at-home mom and homemaker.
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After dating for 11 years, Jessica Cox (now Trout) married Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout, aka “Prince Fish,” in 2017 in Newport Beach, California.
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While a lot of people thought the two were very young to be getting married, Trout said, “She’s been there before baseball and through the whole journey. You say we’re getting married young—I was with her for 11 years.”