With 2022 winding down, some of sports’ famous couples had their moment in the sun throughout the year.
There were plenty of marriages, new children, cool moments and scandals across the sports spectrum.
Read below for some of the most interesting moments.
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Novak Djokovic caused a stir at the beginning of the year when he was trying to play the Australian Open. However, the Australian government’s strict coronavirus vaccine policies would bar Djokovic from competing. Djokovic reportedly had an exemption but it was struck down right before the tournament started. He missed the tournament and would later miss the U.S. Open due to New York City’s policies.
Djokovic’s wife, Jelena, was right by his side throughout the entire ordeal. She backed her husband while he was about to get deported from Australia and then again came to his defense as he was kept off the court at Flushing Meadows.
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Dustin Johnson and Paulina Gretzky are one of the biggest power couples in sports. Johnson is a two-time major winner who made news when he spurned the PGA Tour for LIV Golf. Gretzky is the daughter of NHL legend Wayne Gretzky. They were engaged to be married in 2013.
In 2022, the two finally took the leap and married in April. Johnson went on to have a pretty big year with Gretzky by his side. He earned $35 million in his move to LIV Golf and led his team to a title.
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Matthew Stafford had a great year despite all the trepidation he and his wife, Kelly, had about taking on a new challenge during the 2021 NFL season. The two celebrated a Super Bowl title in February, after making the move from the Detroit Lions to the Los Angeles Rams.
The Staffords came under fire in February once the team celebrated the Super Bowl title. A photographer fell off the stage and the star quarterback appeared to laugh it off. After backlash over the incident, the Staffords agreed to pay for the photographer’s medical expenses and a new camera.
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Sean McVay was feeling good after a Super Bowl title run as well and on the heels of solidifying himself as one of the top coaches in the NFL. He and his then-girlfriend Veronika Khomyn met while he was an assistant coach with Washington and she was a student at George Mason University. The two were engaged in 2019 and got married in June 2022.
Khomyn spoke out about the Ukraine war in a speech at the Critics’ Choice Awards in March.
"I proudly stand with my fellow Ukrainians and I admire their strength. They have faced unimaginable adversity with such profound grace and bravery, their fight and the way they have united the world is truly inspiring. There is no place in our world for this kind of violence and our prayers go out to all the lives that have been lost."
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Tom Brady was in the news throughout 2022 it seemed. He decided to step away from football and a month later he decided to return and the decision to do that apparently irked his then-wife Gisele Bündchen. Brady took a few days off from training camp while rumors about his marriage swirled.
Brady struggled at points during the start of the season and then the duo decided to divorce after 13 years of marriage.
"In recent days my wife and I finalized our divorce from one another after 13 years of marriage," Brady wrote on Instagram. "We arrived at this decision amicably and with gratitude for the time we spent together. We are blessed with beautiful and wonderful children who will continue to be the center of our world in every way. We will continue to work together as parents to always ensure they receive the love and attention they deserve."
Bündchen added: "The decision to end a marriage is never easy but we have grown apart and while it is, of course, difficult to go through something like this, I feel blessed for the time we had together and only wish the best for Tom always.
"I kindly ask that our privacy be respected during this sensitive time. Thank you."
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Rhys Hoskins made an appearance in his first World Series for the Philadelphia Phillies during the fall. Even though the Phillies fell to the Houston Astros, Hoskins had a home run in the World Series and a memorable National League Championship Series to lift Philly to the Fall Classic.
Jamie Hoskins had a memorable World Series as well. She became a fan favorite when she was spotted buying beers for Phillies fans.
JAYME HOSKINS, WIFE OF PHILLIES STAR, BUYS BEER FOR FANS DURING WORLD SERIES GAME 3
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Legendary soccer player Gerard Pique was caught in a scandal this year when he was accused of cheating on his wife, Shakira. The two had been married for 12 years and have two children together.
The two announced in June 2022 that they separated and Pique had been in a relationship with another woman.
"We regret to confirm that we are separating. For the well-being of our children, who are our highest priority, we request respect for (our) privacy. Thank you for your understanding," the two said in a joint statement in June.
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Justin Verlander and his wife Kate Upton had a fantastic 2022.
Verlander finished his final season with the Houston Astros with an 18-4 record, a 1.75 ERA and 185 strikeouts. He finished with his third American League Cy Young Award and another World Series title to his credit. And Upton was right there by his side throughout the entire thing.
Upton went viral during the World Series for giving the double middle fingers to Phillies fans and instantly became a fan favorite. To celebrate the win, she crashed the FOX broadcast set.
The two will now have a chance to do it big in the Big Apple. Verlander agreed to a contract with the New York Mets in the offseason.
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Some things are bigger than on-field accomplishments.
While Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs failed to win a third straight AFC Championship, something far better came along – a new child. Patrick and his wife Brittany welcomed a newborn baby into the world on Nov. 28.
Patrick "Bronze" Lavon Mahomes III was born 7 pounds, 8 ounces, the loving parents wrote on social media. The quarterback, who was named after his father\, former baseball pitcher Pat Mahomes, posted a photo of the baby’s feet dressed in a onesie. The piece of jewelry below the feet of the baby read, "Bronze."
The two revealed they were having a boy in June. Their second baby comes more than a year after Brittany gave birth to their daughter, Sterling Skye Mahomes.
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More than a year after Lionel Messi left Barcelona and joined Paris Saint-Germain, the Argentine soccer superstar ended his 2022 capturing the title that eluded him – the World Cup. Messi scored two goals against France and another in penalties.
On the field, he and his wife celebrated.
Antonela Roccuzzo posted a few photos on Instagram in support of her husband. She paid tribute to Messi and thanked him for teaching her and their family to never give up.
Messi and Roccuzzo got married in 2017. The two have known each other since they were younger and they kept their relationship private until about 2009. The couple have three children, all of whom were in Qatar to watch Argentina defeat France.
