Italian star Sinner won the US Open by beating Taylor Fritz in September and shared a kiss in front of the New York crowd with Kalinskaya, the women’s world No 14.
However, they are now reportedly taking a break from each other amid a ‘crisis’ so they can ‘better understand their relationship and future’.
Neither of them is following the other on Instagram, an unusual change which would suggest something is untoward, though one cannot read into it too much.
Kalinskaya also did not support her beau in Turin, where Sinner won his first ATP Finals title on Sunday over Frick, instead reportedly choosing to holiday in Miami – again, not necessarily an indicator in itself.
Some feel that a rather cold set of quotes from Sinner suggest he is not overly invested in the relationship. That said, he is usually a private individual and not overly revealing.
‘Having a girlfriend is something that makes you feel good or makes you feel bad. I want it to be something that seems very natural, that enters my life normally,’ he is quoted as saying by Il Messagero, citing sources from Kalinskaya’s Russian homeland.
‘I can’t afford to change as a player or as a person. This hasn’t happened, which is why it works.’
That cryptic announcement does little to calm the rumours of a meltdown billowing in Russian circles.
And after winning his ATP Finals title in Turin, Sinner did not mention Kalinskaya in his list of gratitude.
‘The crowd was incredible. Normally the cheering starts from the first match, here it started a week before the tournament. I thank my family and my staff for this incredible journey,’ he said.
It has been a remarkable year on the court for Sinner, who kicked off 2024 by winning the Australian Open and then won in the USA to split the Grand Slams with Carlos Alcaraz.
He was only cleared of wrongdoing for failing anti-doping tests 19 days before the US Open triumph, however.
