When I first met Andre, I’ll be honest—I wasn’t exactly impressed. He wasn’t my type, not at all. At that point in my life, I had my focus on tennis, and I didn’t really care much about anything else. Andre was different—he had this wild energy about him. He was loud, a bit rebellious, and just seemed to be a bit of a show-off. I wasn’t sure how to take him. At the time, I was used to being surrounded by people who were serious, focused, and, frankly, a lot more like me. So, when I first met him, I thought, “Well, this guy isn’t for me.”
But there was something about the way he spoke. It wasn’t love at first sight, far from it. But as we talked more, I began to notice something. His words—they weren’t like anyone else’s. They were raw, honest, and he didn’t hold anything back. He wasn’t afraid to speak his mind, to share how he was feeling, even if it wasn’t what people wanted to hear. In a world where so many people wore masks, where we were all expected to play a part, he was the opposite. He was so unfiltered, and that honesty—it was something I hadn’t seen much of before.
At first, I didn’t think much about it. But the more we spoke, the more I realized that there was something special about the way he approached life. He made me think, and not just about tennis, but about everything. He had this way of seeing the world that was different from mine. It wasn’t about being careful or following rules. He saw things through a lens of passion and freedom, and that was something I admired, even if I didn’t understand it at first.
I guess, over time, I started to fall in love with him in a way I hadn’t expected. It wasn’t about looks or the instant chemistry people talk about. It was about the way he made me feel when we talked. I started to see him in a different light—not just the rebellious guy I’d first met, but someone who could see the world with such depth and emotion. I started learning from him, about life, about love, about being open with people and showing vulnerability.
In the beginning, I didn’t know how to love him. I wasn’t sure what to do with all this emotion he brought out in me. But over time, I learned how. I learned how to love him in ways that were deeper than I ever expected. I loved him not just for his charisma or his energy, but for the way he could make me see things in a different light. I loved the way he made me laugh, the way he could be so raw and honest about his struggles, the way he never tried to hide who he was. I didn’t have to put up walls with him—I could just be myself.
I think what’s so special about our relationship is that we came from different worlds, and we didn’t try to change each other. We were both so driven, but in different ways. I was always focused on my career, and he was, too, but he had this wild side to him that I found so fascinating. At first, I didn’t understand how that fit with my life, but eventually, I saw that it didn’t have to fit neatly. We didn’t have to be the same. We just had to accept each other for who we were, flaws and all. And that’s how I came to love him in ways I never thought possible.
Looking back, I’m grateful for how our relationship unfolded. It didn’t happen the way I expected, but that’s what made it so beautiful. We didn’t start with fireworks or some kind of perfect romance. We started with conversations—honest, raw conversations that made me see him for who he truly was. And once I saw that, I realized how much I loved him—not just for his words, but for everything he was. It was a different kind of love, a slower kind, but one that’s lasted and grown stronger over time.