The Athlete Lifestyle logo

Jannik Sinner's ex Anna Kalinskaya, Holger Rune debate if he slid into her DMs

Jannik Sinner's ex-girlfriend Anna Kalinskaya accuses tennis playboy Holger Rune of DMing her all the time until finally taking the hint. He disagrees.
Matthew Graham|
September 27, 2020, Paris, France: Anna Kalinskaya of Russia during the first round at the French Open.
September 27, 2020, Paris, France: Anna Kalinskaya of Russia during the first round at the French Open. | IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

It's a modern social media game of she said, he said.

World No. 9 Holger Rune is apparently known as quite the ladies man on the ATP circuit, and according to world No. 1 Jannik Sinner's ex-girlfriend, fellow professional tennis player Anna Kalinskaya, now No. 34 in the women's singles rankings, that includes not taking a hint after sliding into her DMs way too many times to count.

RELATED: Jannik Sinner leaves clues girlfriend is model not named Brooks Nader at US Open

Jannik Sinner, Anna Kalinskaya
Jannik Sinner kisses his then girlfriend Anna Kalinskaya after winning the championship final at the 2024 US Open against Taylor Fritz. | IMAGO / Panoramic by PsnewZ

In a clip going viral, having already been viewed 1.6 million times in only six hours, Kalinskaya says in the clip, "He writes to everyone. He deserves all of this. [He] thinks too much of himself. Maybe he's just that hopeless, but he's not the only one."

RELATED: Felix Auger-Aliassime's stressful wedding makes Jannik Sinner US Open match easy

To be fair, Kalinskaya, who broke up with Sinner earlier this year, with him confirming it officially in May, is laughing throughout the clip. So it' s not like the Russian is intimating that the Dane is a bad dude.

Rune, though, calls it a complete misunderstanding and something that was lost in translation for those ten times.

"Ha ha ha," Rune wrote. "We may have cultural difference that make Anna Reid a comment on a story an invitation to a date... if I want to go on a date, I ask for a date. Don't worry."

It sounds like this matter is all a big misunderstanding. But hey, it got both of them a bunch of free publicity.

Not many Americans know who either one of them is, so a little DM lost in translation sounds like a modern-day Netflix romantic comedy plotline.

Anna Kalinskaya
Aug 30, 2025; Flushing, NY, USA; Anna Kalinskaya hits to Iga Swiatek on day seven of the 2025 U.S. Open tennis tournament at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

— Enjoy free dish of rich and fabulous players with The Athlete Lifestyle on SI —

Awkward: $230M bust Deshaun Watson sends message after ugly Shedeur game

Eww or yum?: Megan Thee Stallion shows off unusual home-cooked meal Klay adores

All grown up: Kobe’s daughter Natalia stuns in unique heart dress with friend

SEC First Daughter: Lane Kiffin’s daughter Landry rocks white-out Ole Miss crop-top fit

Stealth mode: Travis Hunter, wife Leanna stun NFL world with baby son looking like dad

Published
Matthew Graham
MATTHEW GRAHAM

Matthew Graham has over 20 years of media experience and oversees The Athlete Lifestyle On SI. He has had previous leadership roles at NBC Sports, Yahoo, and USA TODAY, where he co-founded For The Win (named Best Mobile Site by Digiday). He has also written for ESPN, Cosmopolitan, US Weekly, People, E! Online, and FHM, covering major sports and entertainment events like the Oscars, the Golden Globes, NBA Finals, Super Bowl, and winning the Yahoo Superstar Award for coverage of the Olympics.

Home/Relationships