Tennis Imagine - Tumblr Posts

hii! you could do a rublev x reader tennis player where he gets jealous of her while she talks to another tennis player, if you want you can modify the request and sorry if it got confusing, english is not my first language, i love your blog!!🤍

A step forward

Pairing: Andrey Rublev x f!reader

category: fluff

warnings: none

Author’s Note: i really had fun writing this imagine! i hope you like it, lovely anon! 💖💖 also: English isn’t my first language, so I’m very sorry for mistakes!

* Y/N = your name

MY MASTERLIST

(not my gif! credits to the owner/creator!)

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You know something is wrong when you saw Andrey pressing his lips together and narrowing his eyes in suspicion, but you don’t know what’s the reason. In your eyes everything was fine.

Andrey just finished an intense practise session with Grigor Dimitrov. He showed that he is in a good shape and ready for the next tournament.

You are in the middle of a conversation with the Bulgarian, so all you can do is give Andrey a questioning look, but your boyfriend doesn’t react to your nonverbal question and just stares at the two of you.

“I saw the paining you posted on Instagram this morning!”, Grigor beams at you while taking off his headband, “It’s very beautiful!”

Grigor's compliment catches you completely off guard, and you can’t help but blush: “Uhm…thank you…that’s very kind.”

You love painting and drawing, and Andrey encouraged you to publish some of them online. You set up a separate Instagram account and after only five days your page had A LOT of followers – even some tennis players started following it: Karen Khachanov, Dominc Thiem, Grigor Dimitrov, … Without Andrey you wouldn't have dared to publish it, you're too insecure about it. But Andrey is passionate about your drawings and paintings and has persuaded you to share them with the world.

The older one shakes his head and steps closer to you: “No, I’m serious! You are really talented! I especially love your pencil drawings!”, he sighs still grinning, “I wish I had any talents…” You are way too involved in your conversation to notice Andrey’s snort and the way he stares at Grigor coldly.

Instead you can’t help but blur out: “I mean, from what I've heard so far, you're a pretty good tennis player.”

Grigor blinks at you in surprise before he starts laughing as well: “What you have heard? You just saw me practise?!”

“Yeah…I’m sure you can do better.”

The two of you are now laughing at the top of your lungs. When Andrey introduced you to other tennis players, you couldn’t say a single word. You are a big tennis fan since you were a little kid – always watching matches with your father – and suddenly you are meeting all the players. The first you got to know was Karen, who was really friendly, polite and calm but you were so nervous before your meeting that you nearly hyperventilate. So joking with Grigor was a HUGE step and you are really proud of yourself in that moment.

Grigor turns around and nudges Andrey with his elbow: “Cheeky! Andrey, Y/N is very bold! Did you hear what she said to me?!”

Andrey doesn’t join you in your laughing, his voice is rather cold: “No, I didn’t hear what my girlfriend said to you.”

Something about his emphasis makes you pause your laughing: You have never ever heard this kind of undertone in Andrey’s voice. Your relationship is quite new, next Monday would be your 3-month-anniversary and you know you both have a lot to learn and discover about each other but that was completely new.

Grigor also notices that something is different now and clears his throat quietly, no one says anything.

“I gonna take a shower.”, Andrey doesn’t look at any of you, “See you tomorrow, Grigor! See you later at lunch, Y/N!”, he presses a quick kiss on your left cheek and storms off of the court before you could say a single word.

Fernando Vicente is standing next to the bench, packing the bags. You have a good relationship with Andrey’s coach – at the end of the day he was the one who introduced you to Andrey.

You bite your lip and walk over to him: “Fernando?”, you wait until he turns around, “Maybe it’s nothing but…but…do you…uhm…what’s up with Andrey?”

Ferando looks at you, looking completely surprised: “You don’t know?”

“No?”, you are feeling quite stupid because it’s seeming like it’s very obvious what is wrong with your boyfriend.

Suddenly you hear Andrey yell from outside the practise court: “FERNANDO!”

Now that’s an undertone you know: your boyfriend is annoyed and impatient. Fernando knows the undertone as well and hurries up collecting his things.

“He is jealous!”, is everything Fernando says before he quickly grabs the bags and almost jogs across the court to follow Andrey back to the main building.

Andrey has a short break after lunch, so you make your way back to your hotel room after eating with the whole team.

Your boyfriend was very quiet and so everything was a bit tensed. You take a deep breath and sit down next to Andrey on the big couch: “Andrey?”

You wait until he puts down the phone – although you can see that he feels nervous about what you might say: “Yeah?”

It’s not easy to find the right words, because on one hand you can’t imagine how Andrey could be jealous on someone – in your eyes he was the most wonderful human on this planet – but on the other hand you want to take his feelings and thoughts seriously.

It takes you a lot of courage to look at him when asking the next question: “This morning on the practise court, were you really jealous?”

Andrey bites his lip, while he nervously strokes through his hair: “Mhhh…maybe.”

“Why are you jealous on Grigor? You know, there is no need for that?”

He makes a dismissive gesture and shrugs his shoulders awkwardly: “He is very handsome, isn’t he?”

You can’t help but shake your head in disbelief and move closer to him: “Oh yes, he really is…”, you can’t help but grin, “But I know an ATP player who is even more handsome. Do you want to know who it is?”

Andrey gives you a quick look from the corner of his eyes, voice quiet: “Not really.”

“Too bad. I gonna tell you either way.”, you take his hand in yours, “It’s a Russian player…I think his name is Andrey Rublev. Have you ever heard of him?”

Andrey shoots you a half annoyed-half angry glance but the corners of his mouth lift because of your words.

“So, do you know him?”, you continue to play your little ‘game’. Your head skips a beat when a shy smile spreads across his face.

He rolls his eyes, but his smile is getting bigger and bigger: “Maybe…”

“Yeah, I think you do know him. You must know him…because he is really really handsome. The most handsome guy on the whole tour. And he is very funny, and caring…sometimes he is very stubborn as well but that’s okay.”

“And sometimes he is a little stupid because he gets jealous without any reason?”

You shake your head very quickly and look him straight in the eyes now: “No, you aren’t stupid for getting jealous! It’s okay…I understand it.”

You can see that Andrey is relieved about your words – mainly because you two talked about it. Andrey had problems thinking about this all midday.

“You know what’s funny?”, you finally start talking again and chuckle, “There was a tiny little moment during today’s practise session where I thought: Maybe I have to be jealous of Grigor because you two were so cute together…”

Andrey looks at you with big eyes, before he starts giggling and shakes his head: “No no no, I’ll always choose you! You’re way cuter than Grigor!”

He takes your face between his hands and kisses you softly.

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tagging: @bluetackbaby @lxndonorris @fedalev

Andrey fic where he gives reader a mini tennis lesson pls

an: thank you for requesting!!! i hope you like it

cw: russian pet names (im pretty sure they are correct as i learned a bit of russian few years ago, but let me know if they are wrong)

You and Andrey sat side by side on a bench by the tennis court where he just finished his practice. Your fingers intertwined, you watched as the last few players finished up their games, leaving the court empty for you.

“I have always wanted to play tennis properly.” you said, not putting much thought to it. Andrey smiled with mischief. “Well, lucky for you, you have your very own personal trainer tight here.” You laughed “You think you are going to teach me?” you tilted your head. “Why not?” Andrey replied “You will be like a pro in no time”. 

Few days later, just before the sunset, excitement bubbled up inside you as your boyfriend led you onto the court, his hand on your lower back. "Are you ready for a little tennis lesson?" he asked, his voice warm with affection. “I don’t think I will ever be ready.” Andrey chuckled softly, his heart swelling with love. "I'm here to help you". 

With that, Andrey began to guide you through the basics of tennis, his movements graceful as he demonstrated each technique with precision. "Okay, first things first," Andrey began, stepping up beside you. "Let's work on your grip."

He gently adjusted your grip on the racket, his touch sending shivers down your spine. You couldn't help but admire the fluidity of his movements, as he demonstrated the proper stance and swing. You loved to watch him. Visible work of each and every muscle in his body deserved your admiration. "Got it?" Andrey asked, snapping you out of your trance. You nodded eagerly, determined to soak up every word of his instruction. With gentle guidance, he led you through the fundamental techniques of tennis. You started with simple drills, Andrey leading you every step of the way. With each swing of the racket, you felt yourself improving, yet it still wasn’t perfect. 

“You’re too stiff” Andrey couldn't help but notice a tension in your movements. “I’m sorry” you said, avoiding any eye contact. “Is everything okay, milaya?” he bent to get a better look at your face that was turned towards the orange clay. "I'm afraid of making mistakes, of letting you down. I guess I don't want you to get angry or frustrated with me. Sorry." it was a common thing for him to lose control a bit if something doesn't go right. Although he never poured his negative emotions on you, you still were a bit hesitant. His heart sank at the thought of you being scared of him. With a gentle touch of his shaky hand he lifted your chin. "Listen to me. I could never be angry with you, especially not when we're out having fun together. I'm here to teach you, to support you. We all make mistakes. And I promise you, no matter what happens, I'll never do anything to you. I swear to God”. He looked deeply into your eyes. Once he saw the worries escape your mind he grabbed and squeezed your hand “Now let’s play and have fun. Trust me”. 

As you moved on to more advanced techniques, Andrey's patience never wavered. He praised your progress and offered gentle corrections, his encouragement fueling your determination. “You're doing amazing, Malyshka” or “Rybka! Great serve” definitely made you feel more confident.

Before you knew it, the sky turned dark and it started getting more chilly, signaling the end of your lesson. You couldn't believe how quickly the time had flown by. "I knew you could do it." he whispered, his voice filled with pride as you gathered your things. He gave you his hoodie so you weren’t cold on your way back. “Thank you Andrey, for teaching me” you said as you two left the court, holding hands and both smiling from ear to ear. "No problem, just let me know when you're ready for your next lesson".

May 12, 2024

Hi maybe a fic where Andrey & his Girlfriend are having an Argument and she leaves the tournament to go home to her family for a couple of days and then he surprises her at home where they talk about everything?

an: thanks for requesting!!

Andrey was always a great player but one thing that he felt himself struggling with on court was his mentality. Daniil has always expressed how having his wife near him made him improve in his career. Andrey wanted to share this part of him with you so he invited you to join him in a tournament. 

During the quarterfinals of a major tournament, Andrey was struggling with his second serve. Every missed point or opportunity during a match felt like a dagger leaving a mark on his ego. He was convinced he was getting too distracted. You usually found a spot near the court where you could quietly observe Andrey’s practice sessions. The sun was warm on your skin, and the rhythmic sound of the tennis ball hitting the court became a soothing backdrop to your thoughts. You brought a book, its pages filled with stories that took your mind away to other worlds, yet your attention always drifted back to Andrey. You’d occasionally glance up from the text to watch him, your heart clenching with each frustrated sigh or missed serve. Despite the tension in the air, there was something comforting about being close to him, sharing these silent moments. You also had your phone, where you would scroll through social media, but it was the peacefulness of the garden, the rustling of leaves in the gentle breeze, and the distant hum of the city that you found truly enjoyable.

"Andrey, are you okay?" you asked as he stormed off the court, slamming his racket into his bag. He spun around, his eyes blazing. "No, I'm not okay! Why do you always have to be here?"

You blinked, taken aback. "What do you mean? I'm here to support you."

"Support me?" he scoffed, running a hand through his hair. "I can't focus with you around. You're distracting me!"

You scrunched your face in confusion. "I’m distracting you? I haven’t done anything. I just watch from the stands. You invited me here. I don’t even talk to you during practice."

"It's not about talking," he snapped. "It's just... your presence. I can't explain it, but it's throwing me off."

You took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. "Andrey, I think you're just stressed. This tournament means a lot to you, and you're looking for someone to blame."

"And you're saying it's my fault?" he scoffed, not looking at you.

"No, I'm not!" you exclaimed, your frustration matching his. "I'm saying that maybe the problem isn't me. Maybe it's the pressure you're putting on yourself."

Andrey shook his head, jaw clenched. "You don’t understand. You don’t play. You don’t know what it’s like to have this kind of pressure.”

Your eyes flashed with hurt and anger. "No, I don't play tennis. But that doesn’t mean I don’t understand pressure or what it means to support someone you love. I'm here because I care about you. But if my being here is causing you this much stress, maybe I should leave."

"Maybe you should," he muttered, his voice cold. He didn’t expect you to hear him, but when you threw a harsh “Fine,” a part of him wanted to apologize, though another part felt justified.

That night, you packed your bags and left. You didn’t want to leave him but you believed that maybe some space would help him clear his mind and realize you were only there to support him, not distract him. You were lucky enough that the tournament took place not so far from your hometown so you headed to your childhood home. Your parents happily welcomed you but they could see something was wrong between you and Andrey. They didn’t push you to tell them but eventually you did mention that you two got into an argument, reassuring it wasn’t anything too serious. You still watched his matches but your conversations limited to you texting him to inform where you are and that you’re not mad, just thought a break would be the best option. You spent your days peacefully, helping your parents and relaxing. 

Meanwhile, Andrey couldn’t take it any longer. The emptiness he felt without you was unbearable and he followed you as soon as the tournament ended. The sun was setting as he arrived, casting a soft glow on the nature surrounding your childhood house. He felt a mixture of nerves and anticipation as he walked up the familiar path. He felt even more nervous when he spotted your mother - he was almost sure you told her what he had done and now she wouldn’t allow him to talk to you. To his surprise, she invited him “She's in the garden. Go on through”. 

Andrey thanked her and made his way to you. He spotted you sitting on a bench, a book in your hands. Your hair shone in the sunlight, you looked peaceful but only few could notice the hint of sadness in your eyes. He took a moment to compose himself, the view making him calmer, before approaching.

Your glance shifted from the paper to his face, the corners of your mouth slightly went up forming a small smile. Without a word you moved to give him some space to sit. "I was wrong, and I hurt you. I should never have blamed you for my own frustrations." His eyes didn’t dare to look at you and stared at his shaky hands. ”I know I hurt you. I was under a lot of pressure, and I took it out on you. But that’s no excuse. It’s unacceptable. You’re the most important person in my life, and I can't stand the thought of losing you”. 

You looked at him, he was a mess. “Oh come here” your arms wrapped around him thightly, his head buried at the crook of your neck. You gently stroked his back as overpowering emotions hit him causing him to cry. “I mean that with all my heart. I need you. Please forgive me.” you could barely make up the words as he hyperventilated. “It’s alright, don’t worry. I love you.” you said kissing the top of his head.

Little did you know, your parents stood together few meters from you, admiring their favourite couple’s reunion.

May 29, 2024

Pieces Of Me

A Jack Draper story - Part 1

Part 2: https://www.tumblr.com/creative99writer/762074059828789248/pieces-of-me

Tumblr

Pieces of Me

A Jack Draper Story - Part 2 Part 1 can be found here: https://www.tumblr.com/creative99writer/761870544806232064/pieces-of-me?source=shar

Hello, this is my first time posting a story here - I hope you enjoy!

As a tennis fan, I have newly discovered the gorgeousness that is Jack Draper, but English is not my first language, so please bear with me. I am honestly super nervous to post here for the first time properly, and I‘m not someone who normally posts on tumblr, so I hope you like it :)

Warnings: slightly mature content, probably typos

Also, I hope it’s okay I borrowed this glorious GIF ;)

US Open, New York City.

They stumbled into the room through the dimly lit doorway, the kiss heavy and passionate. It was warm inside the fancy hotel room. He lost his shirt along the way, not caring where it landed.

Jack moaned right into her mouth as he picked her up and pinned her against the wall, his mouth hot against hers. He was kissing her like his life depended on it, his hands everywhere, his scent everywhere and it was overwhelming her in the best of ways. His shirt had been lost at some point during their heated makeout session and she could feel his hot skin against her body, making her dizzy. "Elle..." he breathed out, his mouth moving from hers to her neck. He knew exactly what he was doing. And him being so vocal brought her right back to reality.

"Wait, wait, wait..." Eleonora put her palm on his chest, pushing him away slightly, the both of them out of breath from that really hot kiss. 

"What's wrong?" Jack looked at her, confused, but nonetheless letting himself be pushed back gently, setting her down on the ground while she stayed against the wall, his bare chest heaving from their intense encounter. 

"We can't do this." Eleonora rushed the words out, confused herself - because she wanted this, but she knew it wasn't right. 

Jack's eyebrows furrowed, not quite understanding. "What do you mean?"

"We can't.... we can't do this, it's not..." she stopped herself, not quite sure what she was saying.

"Why?" he asked her now, not just confused but genuinely not understanding why she would stop herself - and them. He was still standing in front of her, but he hadn't tried to move any closer. He respected her trying to put some space inbetween them, yet wasn't ready to move away completely.  His question hit her like a ton of bricks. Why? Yes, why? Why was she trying to stop this? Why couldn't they do this? 

She stared at him, searching for words she either did not have or would not come out of her mouth. 

Why?

"I..." she started, and then broke off, shaking her head. Jack was still looking at her with his deep hazel eyes, an intense gaze that made her search for words even more difficult. She could see him get agitated by her lack of response, by her apparent rejection - but most importantly, by her lack of explanation. Maybe he was even hurt, but she couldn‘t tell for sure.

"You what?" he prompted her, but his tone was getting sharper, making her look away, her eyes instead darting around the room, not being able to look at him any longer. She was too confused. She didn't see the way his eyes immediately softened at her obvious distress. "Look. I'm not going to force you to do anything you don't want to do. If you tell me you don't want to do this with me, you don't owe me an explanation." He took a cautious step forward. "But I don't understand what you mean when you say we can't do this." He shook his head, taking her hand gently, making her finally look back up at him. "Do you not want to do this or what is it that's holding you back?" He looked her straight in the eyes, clearly needing her to know that he meant what he said. "Because I want you. So much. I really really want you. But if you tell me that you don't want me, then I'll go. No questions asked. I don't want to pressure you into something you don't want to do."

Eleonora could feel the warmth of his hand around hers and her heart hammering against her chest. She couldn't tell him that the didn't want him. Because she did. She really really did. How could she not? He was handsome, and he was a really great guy. Someone who had just offered her a way out of their… situationship. Without asking any questions. But she could not lie to him about not wanting him. Her lie probably would have been too obvious anyway.

He looked nervous, awaiting her response. As if it meant everything to him what she was going to say next. As if her rejection would break his heart, even if be would accept it and leave. His eyes displayed vulnerability that he rarely showed, as he looked into hers. He was laying a few of his cards on the table. Maybe not all of them just yet, but enough to let her know he cared a great deal. About her and about them.

She couldn‘t lie to him.

"I want you." she whispered, her eyes losing themselves in his hazel ones and she could see his relief in them, the vulnerability still there. She pulled her hands from his and placed them on his cheeks, getting close to him. She felt his hands on her waist, pulling her into him. "I do. Very much." 

He continued looking into her eyes, as if he needed to make sure that this was real and she wanted him. Elle tried to show some of her cards with her eyes, hoping he would unterstand that she meant it.

He must have understood.

He let out a deep breath as if he had kept it in until she told him she wanted him, this, too and leaned in, kissing her gently, pulling her as close as he possibly could. Eleonora responded, kissing him back and placing her arms around his neck and running her fingers through his hair. She couldn't possibly even so much as pretend she didn't want him.

His hands wandered gently up and down her back, keeping her close, caressing her. The kiss that had started gentle and innocent soon turned into something more passionate. Into something that made them forget the world around them. He kissed her harder, losing himself in their kiss. His hands were everywhere and it soon turned very heated. It was so overwhelming, it reminded Eleonora of why she had to stop this. Even if she wanted this to go on and on. She pulled away, out of breath and detangled herself from Jack - again, who was confused and breathing hard.

"But I can't do this, Jack... we can't..." she put her hands on her face, not being able to look at him again and because she was so annoyed with herself. 

"Eleonora." he prompted, his voice much gentler than she expected it to be after she pulled away twice. She was expecting him to shout, and she couldn't have blamed him, because of her weird attitude. He sounded calm and gentle, his hands touching her elbows and she looked up at him, his eyes soft - but looking at her with confusion. "What is going on?" He was still out of breath, his mouth so red  from their kisses that she really wanted to kiss him again. But she couldn't - or rather, shouldn't. 

"This is not a good idea." she finally told him what she wanted to all along. "We shouldn't be doing this. It's going to spiral out of control, all of it. And I can't do this to Jannik. I can't. And - and after my injury..." she pleaded with him to understand. But he didn't - or maybe he didn't want to, because he started to pull away, his brows furrowing. He looked at her, the hurt in eyes clearly visible this time, and it killed her inside. Hurting him was the last thing she wanted.

"Okay, so to get this straight. You want me, but also, you don't because you don't want to hurt some other guy's feelings, right?" When he put it like that, it sounded incredibly stupid. "What I don't really understand - not that I understand the other part - is what your injury has to do with us." He sounded annoyed, like she had worn out his patience.

"He is not some other guy, he is-" she started but that was clearly the wrong choice.

"Seriously?!" he shouted this time. "That is your first thought?! To defend Jannik?" He turned around, searching for his shirt that had been lost at some point during their heated kisses. 

"That's unfair, I-" she tried to defend herself, but Jack wasn't to be deterred. Especially considering he was right. And they both knew that. It was a cheap cop out, because really, she was afraid of how going any farther would change things between them.

"No. What is unfair is you telling me you want me, and then in the same breath tell me you cannot do this because of your ex or whoever he is. You’re still hung up on him, is that it? You kiss me and think about some other guy? You tell me you want me, but really, you are clearly thinking about someone else. Are you still hung up on the past? Can’t get over him? Then why the hell even start this and kiss me and tell me you want me? That is unfair. I offered you a way out, Elle. You telling me you want me when you clearly do not is unfair.“ he snarled, and looked away, pulling the shirt he had found next to the bed over his head, and turned to look back at her again, his eyes fiery. "I can understand wanting to be respectful, but it's not like I was proposing to you or anything, or thinking this was going to get serious because of one night together. It was just a bit of fun here." His words were piercing, as were his eyes. For a moment, she could see surprise flicker in them - was he surprised at what had just come out of his mouth? Didn’t he want to say what he said because it was a lie or because it was the truth and he had not wanted to tell her like this? Had she interpreted every lingering gaze and expression and his words completely wrong? Was him telling her he wanted her really just meant for a night?

But he didn't correct himself or take his words back. He just continued staring her down with his piercing gaze, too proud to back out now.

So she stared back. at him for a moment. Was he being serious, or was he being mean on purpose? She couldn't quite figure it out. But she was Eleonora, and she was proud, so she was not going to show him that his words hurt her. She would never give him - or anyone - that power. She was not going to let him make her feel small and show him that when she told him she wanted him, it was meant for more than a night.

And anyway- why was he so bothered that she mentioned Jannik? He almost sounded… jealous?

"Well, why does it bother you so much that I might be thinking of another guy when it's just a bit of fun for you?" she snarked back, crossing her arms in front of her chest.  

He had not expected that retort. It caught him off guard and his eyes darkened the second she mentioned Jannik. So he was jealous.

He swallowed, and continued staring at her, looking more nervous that he had before. It became a staring competition between two incredibly stubborn people. They were at a crossroads now. They both knew that. If Jack went down the road of 'a bit of fun', there would be no return - or it was going to be very tough to return, at the very least, because Eleonora would not back down and she wouldn't forgive him that easily. At the same time, she had hurt him, too. So the question was: was he going to be the bigger person and apologize for saying what he said, or did he really mean it and therefore wouldn't back down? 

The only thing Eleonora knew she was not going to be the bigger person and admit her feelings. She had been burned before and if she couldn’t be sure of his feelings, she would not tell him. It depended on him either admitting it wasn‘t just fun for him, or him telling her it was just fun for him. She couldn’t clearly tell if it was for him, so she was not going to risk getting herself hurt when she had before and it turned out horribly.

The air was thick between them as they stared at each other, chests heaving and one could have heard a pin dropping in the room. It was eerily quiet, neither of them giving in just yet.

Who would be giving in? Eleonora or Jack?

Did Jack really mean what he had said?  

Pieces of Me

A Jack Draper Story - Part 2

Part 1 can be found here:

https://www.tumblr.com/creative99writer/761870544806232064/pieces-of-me?source=share

Note: I hope you liked the first part, here is part 2. Again, I'm still new to this whole thing of posting here, and writing things in general, so please bear with me :)

London, Wimbledon -  the year before

POV Jack.

A little fluffy dog ran through the player's lounge, making its way right to a tall blonde girl who immediately crouched down, petting it. "Oh you are so beautiful! Who are you?" she cooed, and was so preoccupied with the dog, she didn't notice the tall, handsome man stopping right in front of her, a slight smile on his lips as he watched the girl interact with the dog.

"His name's Cooper." he said.

The girl looked up, surprised. Her green eyes met his hazel ones. 

And neither of them believed in love at first sight but this very moment must have come very close to it. 

He was thunderstruck. She was - in his mind - the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. And he knew who she was. 

Eleonora 'Elle' Kemp. The women's world number one. 

He knew what she looked like, of course. He had seen her a few times from afar, always surrounded by journalists, fans, or both. He also knew that she was beautiful - tall, like it was quite usual for a tennis player, but even taller than the average tall female tennis player. She was basically a part-time model at this point, but that came with the territory of being such a popular tennis player. She was a superstar, even if she was only 22. She was a multiple grand slam winner, having won her first in Wimbledon at 17. Of course he knew who she was.

But this was the first time he was standing right in front of her and could take in all her features from up close. She was breathtaking. Piercing eyes in a shade he had never seen before. A dazzling smile that came with those eyes, making him try to catch his breath. She had charisma and an aura he couldn't really describe. Finally he understood when people said that a sport needs someone like that - to catch people's attention and draw them in, because Eleonora Kemp certainly did just that. She was mesmerizing.

He had never felt like this before. 

She stood up and he could see how tall she really was. And how that long hair flowed down her shoulders and back like silk. He wondered how it would feel between his fingers... 

"I'm guessing he's yours?" she smiled at him. "He's adorable." 

It took Jack a few moments to gather his thoughts - turn them away from those eyes, hair and smile - and try to form something that sounded remotely like a proper English sentence. It was supposed to be his first language after all.

"Yeah. That little rascal belongs to me." he smiled too, and seemed to have found his charm. He needed it, to be frank if he wanted to keep her attention, he thought. "And he always goes for the beautiful girls." 

Her eyes rested on him and he thought he always wanted to be looked at by those eyes. Her smile widened for a moment before she bit it back, trying to look unimpressed. "Well, I always go for the beautiful boys." she said and crouched down again to pet Cooper, making Jack chuckle. 

'So, she's funny too.' he thought.

"I can see that." he chuckled, and she looked up at him, cheekily. "I'm Jack, by the way." he said, extending his hand to hers, and she took it as she stood up again. 

What he felt the moment his hand touched hers must have been very close to electricity. There was really no other way to describe it, even though it was ridiculous, and physically and scientifically impossible. He nearly flinched from their contact. And it rattled her too, but she tried to not letting it show. She was always good at keeping her emotions at bay or even hide them. It was her trademark on court.

"I'm Elle." she said, giving him her nickname instead of her real name. He had to bite back an 'I know.' because of course he knew that everyone usually called her Elle. And of course he knew who she was.

Cooper put his front paws on her legs, making her look down at him. She picked that fluffy ball that identified as a dog up and cooed at him. 

"I think he's in love with you." Jack chuckled at his dog. Elle gazed at him with a light smile on her lips. 

"Well, I don't have any objections to that, he is so sweet." Eleonora said, petting Cooper who seemingly enjoyed the attention. Jack understood that. He would be same way, had he been his dog.

"Elle!" a voice shouted through the lounge, which could be identified as the voice of her older brother Theodor, or Theo, who was also a tennis player.

A tall guy, who looked incredibly similar to Elle, walked up to them. They both could have introduced themselves as Barbie and Ken and no one would have questioned it. That family was hit with good-looking-genes. And probably fantastic-tennis-player-genes as well. "Well, who is this handsome fella?" Theo was clearly talking about the dog.

"That is Cooper. He belongs to Jack. And for some reason, I am apparently the chosen one." Elle laughed and it was a sound that Jack loved. 

"Oh, Jack?" Theo asked and now turned to Jack. "Oh hey! Jack Draper, right? I'm Theodor, but please call me Theo. God knows everyone does." Theo chuckled, extending his hand to Jack. Apparently, it ran in the family to be super friendly, too - not just good looking.

Jack had never played Theo before. Theo was consistently to be found in the top ten, and he had won three grand slams, had been world number one and was currently ranked number two. Jack, who was in top 10 for the first time in his life didn't know Theo very well, except that he was the heir apparent for Rafa at the French Open and a super funny and nice guy. Just like his sister, he had only seen him from afar. And for some weird reason, they had never played each other before. Jack was surprised Theo knew who he was.

"Yeah. Hi, nice to meet you." They shook hands, and exchanged pleasant smiles while Eleonora was busy with Cooper, petting him still. That dog seemed to be head over heels in love with her, truly.

Theo laughed at his little sister. "Why do the dogs always go for you?" 

Elle snorted. "I don't know. Maybe they can instinctively feel when someone's nice." She stuck her tongue out at her brother, and Jack thought their little exchange was sweet and endearing, even, like typical family who loved each other. Despite their respective successes, they both seemed extremely nice and down to earth. It made him miss his own brother. It was probably nice always having family around, and it was probably less lonely. "Which is why they never come to you." she roasted Theo who rolled his eyes and looked at Jack. 

"Now you see what I have to deal with on a daily basis." he pointed over at his sister, who smirked. 

Jack laughed at them, still watching Elle with Cooper. 

After a moment, Theo interrupted his train of thoughts. "Anyway, Elle, I don't want to interrupt your little romance with Cooper, but we have to get going. Practice. And social media duties." 

Jack expected Eleonora to be annoyed at the prospect of once again having to devote her time to promotional duties. It couldn't be easy to be so in demand. And he knew for a fact that she was highly in demand, always. There were so many videos of her on the ATP's channel and other channel, all over TikTok and Instagram. She really had to be doing this all the damn time. There were also a lot of videos with her brother, which were - granted - funny as hell. But it must have been getting exhausting. At the same time, he was a little disappointed. He would have loved to talk to her properly, get to know her. Not only was she beautiful, but she was interesting. He knew, though, that she was busy, and her demanding life as world number one was probably exhausting enough as it is. She didn't need someone like him taking up the little time she had. So really, he wouldn't have been surprised if she would have rolled her eyes or sighed at having to give up her time to do promotional things, even as the face of female tennis.

To his surprise, though, she just smiled. "Yeah, of course. I nearly forgot about that. This little fella got me all distracted." Elle put Cooper down and stood up again, smiling at Jack. 

And for some reason, Jack wished she had been talking about him. Which was weird and he reprimanded himself for that.

"Thanks for letting me keep him company until duty called once again." she laughed and turned to Theo. "Let's go."

Elle and her brother both turned and made their way out of the players' lounge, with Jack - and Cooper - watching their figures leave, but then Elle turned around one last time. "Bye! It was nice to meet you!" she smiled at him one last time before they both disappeared. 

Jack sighed and looked down at Cooper. "Well. I can definitely see why you chose to run directly to her." He picked Cooper up and walked back to his seat, where he had been before Cooper had decided to run loose. "Maybe you can do it again, so I can speak to her a little longer. Preferably alone." Jack murmured, with a slight smile, not really believing in what he said.

But fate clearly had something different in mind.