Sports Power Couples

When two athletes get together, all us sports fans can think of is how intensely advantaged their offspring will be. Here is a list of those athletic couples who’s children have the most to live up to or have been given the best genes:

  1. Andre Agassi and Steffi Graff

He is an 8-time Grand Slam winner and former World #1 tennis player

She is a 22-time Grand Slam winner and former World #1 tennis player (for 377 weeks the longest of any woman)

They began dating after the 1999 French Open, which both of them won. Agassi’s win gave him the Career Grand Slam, only the 2nd male to have it. It would be Graff’s last of 6 French Open Titles. Graff would retire from tennis following Wimbledon of that year. Most of their relationship is a mystery. Agassi was known as a bad boy, dating Barbara Streisand and being married to Brooke Shields for a time. Only their mothers witnessed their marriage on October 22, 2001. They have 2 children together.

They have 30 Grand Slam titles between them. Graff is still considered one of the 5 best female tennis players of all time. Agassi, though not in the running for greatest of all time was certainly the 2nd greatest of his generation which spanned Pete Sampras and Roger Federer. Together these two are tennis royalty and together they top the list.

2. Bart Conner and Nadia Comaneci

He is a two-time Gold Medalist gymnast for the United States at the 1984 Olympics. His golds were in the Men’s All-Round and the Men’s Parallel Bars. He also qualified for the 1980 Olympics but the United States boycotted those.

She is the greatest gymnast of all time and arguably one of the greatest female athletes of all time. The Romanian earned the first ever Perfect 10 at the 1976 Montreal Games in the uneven bars. She won Gold Medals in the All-Round, Uneven Bars, and the balance beam. She finished 3rd in the floor exercise and won a silver as part of the Roman team competition.

They met at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games. But it wasn’t until 1989 when they met on Pat Sajak’s Show that a friendship emerged. Connor realized something was wrong and allowed Comeneci to escape an abusive relationship. Comeneci had just defected from communist Romanian and the leader of the group was abusing her. In 1991, Connor invited Comeneci to move to Oklahoma and open a gymnast school. 4 years later they were engaged and were married in April of 1996 to much fanfare in Romania. They have one child together.

Though Simone Biles may be making a play at Comeneci’s Greatest of All-Time, Comeneci is one of the most iconic and accomplished female athletes of all time. Connor’s was one of the most accomplished American gymnasts. Probably not good enough to top the Agassi’s but better than anyone else.

3. Nomar Garciaparra and Mia Hamm

NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 08: Mia Hamm and Nomar Garciaparra attend the 20th annual Women of the Year awards at Carnegie Hall on November 8, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Ben Gabbe/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Mia Hamm;Nomar Garciaparra

He is a former All-Star shortstop with a career batting average of .313. He achieved the highest post-war season batting average in 2000 when he averaged a .372 for the Red Sox. He played in the Majors for 20 years and went to 6 All-Stars.

She is maybe the greatest, but certainly the most famous, women’s soccer player of all time. Hamm won 2 Gold Medals and 2 World Cups as a member of the USWNT. She was named U.S. Soccer Female Athlete of the Year 5 consecutive times. She was FIFA World Player of the Year twice.

They met at a charity soccer tournament in 1998. At the time Hamm was married and it was just a friendship. After she was divorced they began dating and were eventually married in front of a large crowd in November of 2003.

Hamm is up there in athletic ability with both Comeneci and Graff. Garciapara is not nearly the athlete of Agassi and not quite up to Bart Connor’s level. But their children can be comforted that they are third on the list because he was a good ballplayer for 20 years.

4. Bastian Schweinsteiger and Ana Ivanovic

He is one of the most decorated German soccer players with a World Cup win with 8 Bundesliga wins with his club team, Bayern Munich.

She is a French Open Winner as well as the winner of 14 other USTA Titles. She played in a total of 3 Grand Slam Finals and was ranked #1 in the world in 2008.

They began dating in 2014 and were married in July of 2016. They are very low key and out of the spotlight when it comes to their relationship. They have 2 children together.

Ivanovic dated multiple athletes before marrying Schweinsteiger. She was linked with fellow professional tennis player, Fernando Verdasco and golfer Adam Scott. If we are looking at athletic success, she married the most successful of the three.

Her career is nowhere near as successful as the women above her in the list (and a few below). He is more accomplished than those that come behind him. He is probably comparable to Garciaparra.

5. P.K. Subban and Lindsey Vonn

2018 CMT Music Awards Love from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN Featuring: P K Subban, Lindsey Vonn Where: Nashville, Tennessee, United States When: 06 Jun 2018 Credit: Judy Eddy/WENN.com ORG XMIT: wenn34353145

He is one of the top Defensiveman of the NHL and currently plays for the New Jersey Devils.

She is the greatest female downhill skier of all time. She has 8 World Championship medals including 2 golds and 3 Olympic medals including one gold. She has 82 career victories.

They met on the red carpet at the ESPYs in 2017. They got engaged in August of 2019.

Vonns dominance in the Downhills is what puts them up here. Subban is a character and has been to the Stanley Cup but has yet to raise the trophy. Vonn for a while was dating Tiger Woods but they broke up. Subban might not be the athlete of Woods but he has a better marital background.

6. Ashton Eaton and Brianne Theisen-Eaton

He is a two time Olympic Gold Medalist and World Record holding Decathlete for the United States.

She is a Heptathlete who won Bronze at the Rio Games in 2016. She competes for Canada.

They met in 2006 and became teammates at the University of Oregon. They were married in July of 2013 a year after both competed at the London Games.

That’s a lot of medals between two parents.

7. Roger and Mirka Federer

He is the Greatest Tennis Player of All-Time with 20 Grand Slams. The list of his records would fill the whole post. So just know, he’s the best athlete on this list.

She is a former professional tennis player. She won 3 ITF events and made 9 Grand Slam appearances (only advancing as far as the 2nd round).

They met at the 2000 Athens Games where they were both participants for Switzerland. They began dating shortly after that. They have been married since 2009 and have two sets of twins together.

They make this list because he is amazing, the most amazing. But she was a professional in her own right, any normal kid would brag about their mom’s appearance in 9 Grand Slams.

8. Zach and Julie Ertz

He is a Super Bowl winning Tight End for the Philadelphia Eagles.

She is a defensive mid-fielder for the USWNT. When she joined the National Team in 2013, she was one of the youngest players of the team. In 2017 she was named U.S. Female Soccer Player of the Year.

They met at a Stanford Baseball game in 2012 where they eventually got engaged in 2016. They were married March 26, 2017.

Neither of them may be Greatest Of All Time material, but she is certainly one of the best in the world and he wins Super Bowls.

9. Jozy Altidore and Sloane Stephens

He is a member of the USMNT and a forward for Toronto FC

She is a winner of the U.S. Open and a Former World Top 5 tennis player

They met in the 5th grade in Florida where Jozy dumped the younger Stephens in the trash can and she had to be picked up by her mom from school. They first started dating in 2017 and were engaged in April of 2019.

She’s got a Grand Slam title and two Major Final appearances, her career is far from over. He is part of the ignominious USMNT that didn’t make the World Cup. But seriously, their kids will be beautiful and athletic.

10. David Lee and Caroline Wozniacki

He is a retired NBA player who won an NBA Title in 2015 with Golden State and was a 2x All-Star.

She is a Grand Slam winner as well as a former World #1 Tennis Player. She retired from the Tour in January of 2020.

They met in Florida in 2015. They were introduced by a mutual friend while Lee was playing against the Heat. They got engaged in 2017 and were married in June of 2019.

He may have an NBA Title ring but he didn’t start and was more of a utility player for that Golden State team. Her career finished with a single Major Title but she spent much of her career as the best player in the tour to not win a Major. Wozniacki had a very public break up with golfer Rory McIlroy. McIlroy was a better athlete than David Lee but that doesn’t make up for breaking off a marriage over the phone.

11. Servando Carrasco and Alex Morgan

He is a midfielder in the MLS.

She is one of the captains for the USWNT that won the World Cup. She is also a 2-time U.S. Soccer Athlete of the year. She has won 2 World Cups and a Gold Medal with the US National Team.

They met as teammates at the University of California Berkley. They have been married since December of 2014.

She is one of the best in her sport while he is just a participant in professional soccer (and the MLS is not known for having the best soccer players either). When comparing this couple to the other power couples he keeps them at the bottom of that list. But for their to-be kids, who cares they have two professional soccer players raising them.

12. Rickie Fowler and Allison Stokke

He is a professional golfer with 5 PGA Tour wins, the most prestigious being the Players in 2015. He has finished runner-up 3 times in Majors.

She is a professional and former All-American pole vaulter. She failed to qualify for the 2012 London Games.

They began dating in 2017 and announced their engagement in 2018.

The Olympic sports are so hard to determine since only 4 years do they hand out the most important trophy. Regardless, she was one of the best in her sport, even if it is a less known event. He may not be the best golfer but he is certainly one of the most famous. To console their future kids, she was really good at what she did.

One comment

  1. what about Nadia Comaneci and Bart Conner? How about Nancy Lopez and Ray Knight? Are Aaron Rodgers and Danica Patrick still an item? Just wondering

    Like

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