The tennis world loves drama almost as much as it loves tie-breaks, and this week, Russian star Anna Kalinskaya served fans a story they just couldn’t ignore.
During a candid appearance on the First&Red podcast in New York, Kalinskaya was asked if male tennis players ever slide into her DMs. With a mischievous laugh, she admitted it had happened before then dropped the bombshell name: Holger Rune.
According to Anna, Rune, ranked World No. 11, messaged her “around ten times” before finally giving up. Her choice of words? She called him “desperate.” That one word was enough to set tennis Twitter, Reddit, and Instagram ablaze.
“Someone wrote like 10 times and then gave up,” she revealed, before confirming: “I’ll say who it is now—Holger Rune. He writes to everyone. He thinks too much of himself. Maybe he’s just desperate, but he’s not the only one.”
Rune didn’t take long to defend himself. The 22-year-old Dane went on X (formerly Twitter), claiming that his words were misread and blaming “cultural differences.” He insisted that if he wanted a date, he would ask for one directly. His short post—“Don’t worry”—did little to calm the storm. Fans are now split between those who believe Anna, those who think she exaggerated, and those who just love the drama.
But here’s where it gets even more intriguing: Anna Kalinskaya has already moved on in her personal life. She’s rumored to be back with Tomas Ferrari, an old boyfriend from 2021, who has been spotted supporting her at tournaments this season. Even his dog, Bella, has been traveling with her on tour—something Anna says has been bringing her “a lot of positivity.”
For Rune, though, this isn’t the first time his name has popped up in stories about sending too many messages. Just last month, Veronika Kudermetova claimed he had messaged her too—even though she’s married. Suddenly, the pattern is looking a little harder to dismiss.
Whether Anna exaggerated, Rune misunderstood, or both, one thing is clear: tennis fans can’t get enough of this kind of off-court drama. And with the US Open season still buzzing, the timing couldn’t have been more explosive.
In the end, this isn’t just about one player’s DMs—it’s about the personalities, egos, and emotions that make tennis more than just a sport. Because for fans, stories like this are proof that behind every ace and every backhand, players are still human, messy, and sometimes a little desperate too.
