The tennis marriage season is in full flow in July as two more WTA stars, Liudmila Samsonova and Asia Muhammad, tied the knot with their respective partners on the same day. Both players had contrasting wedding styles, with Samsonova having a low-profile ceremony with close friends and family, whereas Muhammad had a multi-day ceremony with her family and friends and other tennis stars.

Samsonova married Alessandro Dumitrache in a formal church ceremony in Italy. The event was away from the glare of the mainstream media, but the happy couple did share their special moments on social media. The groom was seen in a formal grey suit, while Samsonova wore a full ivory bridal gown with a flowing overskirt and long sleeves, and held a bouquet of white flowers. The duo went to an intimate restaurant and celebrated with champagne and their close friends and family.

On the other hand, Asia Muhammad’s marriage to James Cross was a multi-day event held in Vancouver, the groom’s hometown. The couple hosted a Welcome Party before tying the knot on July 17 at The Alexander in Vancouver, while the wedding ceremony took place the next day at the VanDusen Botanical Garden, an outdoor venue. The dress and themes of both days matched the occasion, with the happy couple opting for a garden-chic theme. Female guests wore light-fabric dresses or jumpsuits, while the men wore casual suits. For the more formal occasion of the wedding, it was a black-tie event, with the groom in an all-black suit and the bride in a full bridal gown.

The guest list for Muhammad’s wedding included a whole host of American tennis players, including Jessica Pegula, Desirae Krawczyk, and Jennifer Brady. The weddings of Samsonova and Muhammad were preceded by ceremonies for Alex de Minaur and Katie Boulter, as well as Tommy Paul and Paige Lorenze. While De Minaur and Boulter had a quiet ceremony in the rural backdrop of Leicestershire, Paul and Lorenze had a high-profile ceremony with other ATP players in attendance, and Vogue covered the event.

The wedding ceremonies symbolized the relationships Samsonova and Muhhamad had in their lives, with the Russian keeping her private life out of the spotlight, whereas Muhammad and Cross’s coming together was the result of a two-decade-long romance.

Both Liudmila Samsonova and Asia Muhammad had different kinds of Relationships

Samsonova and Dumitrache’s relationship is further complicated by the latter being the Russian player’s coach since 2020. Under Dumitrache’s coaching, Samsonova has reached all nine of her career finals, winning five titles in the last six seasons. The Russian also had her Slam breakthrough at Wimbledon last year, reaching the quarterfinals. It was shortly after that that Dumitrache and Samsonova got engaged, a moment she shared on Instagram. Overall, the pair have kept their private lives private, and post photos together off the court very rarely.

Meanwhile, Muhammad and Cross met each other in 2008, when the former was playing at an event in Vancouver. After the initial meet, things had lain low between the two for some years before they met again in 2022, when both decided to be together. They also announced their engagement last year, which was shared by the WTA pro on her Instagram.

Like their personal lives, both WTA players have different levels of success compared to each other on the Tour, with Muhammad being a more prolific doubles player, whereas Samsonova has mainly been a singles player. Muhammad reached the semifinal of the 2021 US Open with Taylor Townsend and has even won WTA 1000 titles with the likes of Erin Routliffe and Demi Schuurs at Cincinnati and Indian Wells, respectively.