Tennis stars Ajla Tomljanovic, Matteo Berrettini quizzed about their love life

Aussie Ajla Tomljanovic and Italian boyfriend Matteo Berrettini talked tennis and then romance when grilled by American icon Chris Evert.

Matteo Berrettini and Ajla Tomljanovic make a cute couple.

Aussie tennis star Ajla Tomljanovic and her boyfriend Matteo Berrettini can’t perform on the court right now so instead they gave fans something to enjoy during an entertaining Instagram Live chat with Chris Evert.

Evert, the American 18-time grand slam singles champion who now runs a tennis academy and has known Croatian-born Tomljanovic since she was a teenager, probed the couple for reflections on their careers before winding down the hour-long conversation by delving deeper into their love life.

Coronavirus has meant the ATP and WTA tours have been suspended and Tomljanovic said being quarantined with world No. 8 Berrettini has put their relationship on fast-forward.

While tennis would normally dominate both their schedules, making it difficult to spend quality time together, Tomljanovic – who used to date Nick Kyrgios – said her and the Italian young gun are getting used to being together for 24 hours a day.

They’re staying at Tomljanovic’s house with her family, an experience Berrettini said has taken some getting used to, and while Evert spent plenty of time asking about their goals and opinions on other players, they couldn’t escape questions about their romance.

“It’s interesting, the hook-ups in tennis. When you look at (Gael) Monfils and (Elina) Svitolina, their tennis went up, they started having some good results and they were inspiring each other,” Evert said.

“I feel like last year was a great year for both of you. Do you agree with that? Has being with each other really helped your tennis?”

Tomljanovic joked Berrettini was now ranked eighth in the world after a breakout year that saw him enter the top-10 for the first time, so she must have had a positive influence after meeting when he was world No. 30.

On a more serious note, she said happiness off the court was a pivotal factor in determining a player’s fortunes on it.

“I think that if you’re happy off the court it’s definitely going to help your career but at the same time you’ve got to be smart about how you’re going to balance it,” Tomljanovic said.

“I really believe that the happiness in general and in life can really help your career. I don’t know if that was the secret but there are some examples where that really works.”

Berrettini agreed, adding: “It’s important to find someone who understands what you’re doing. It’s not easy being on tour for nine, 10 months a year and if you can be with someone who understands that, I think it’s a plus.

“Being able to feel free about this … is really important for both of us, for our career and our happiness in general.”

Tomljanovic and Berrettini were then put on the spot when Evert asked them for three words to describe the other person.

Tomljanovic selected “honest, funny and loyal”, getting the tick of approval from her partner. But Berrettini, who is working on improving his English, struggled a bit more, especially when warned to watch what he said.

“Please don’t say stubborn,” Tomljanovic instructed.

“I have to think … I was about to say stubborn. Stubborn for me could also be a nice thing,” Berrettini replied.

“She really knows how to – can you say, spread love? Give love?

“Stubborn doesn’t come, right? I have to find another two (words)?

“One more … beautiful. I mean, I think you’re beautiful, (but) I have to say something that Chrissie doesn’t know - competitive.

“I cannot say the same words she used (like loyal).”

Tomljanovic was more impressed with her efforts than Berrettini’s. “Mine were so much better. I think if it were in Italian he would have done better,” she said.

But when given the opportunity to use more than just a few words, Berrettini’s love for Tomljanovic was evident as he expressed his gratitude for her efforts to connect with his nearest and dearest.

“I really like how she’s really close to her family and I told her a couple of days ago how I really appreciate the relationship she’s built with my family and my friends,” he said.

“It’s not easy, especially because they’re Italian. My dad doesn’t speak really good English so it’s tough so it’s really nice and my family loves her.”

Tomljanovic enjoyed a fruitful 2019, hitting a career-high ranking of 39 last year while Berrettini claimed two titles in Stuttgart and Budapest.

He reached the semi-finals of consecutive events in Shanghai and Vienna last October, and also made the final four at the US Open to go with his round-of-16 appearance at Wimbledon.