There was a time when their story was called a perfect sports fairy tale: one of the brightest tennis players of her generation and a global football star, a world champion — a beautiful wedding, three sons, rare but always impeccable joint public appearances. That is why the news sounds all the more striking: Ana Ivanovic and Bastian Schweinsteiger are officially no longer together, and the former Germany midfielder already has a new partner.
From a “Golden Couple” of Sport to Divorce Proceedings
In the autumn of 2024, it became known that the former world No. 1 had filed for divorce from Bastian in a Munich court. It was there that Ivanovic initiated the dissolution of a marriage that had lasted nine years: the couple were married in July 2016. At the same time, Ana filed a claim in Palma, where she is officially resident and where the family had spent a significant part of their time for many years, seeking child support for their children.
The couple have three sons, born in 2018, 2019, and 2023. In the official wording, the reason for the separation is described as “irreconcilable differences” — a classic phrase for such cases that conceals the decision to part ways for good without bringing the details of the conflict into the public eye.
A Fast and Quiet Divorce the Swiss Way
According to European media reports, the divorce was finalized in Switzerland under a simplified and highly confidential procedure. For a couple of this level of media attention, it is a logical choice: minimal bureaucracy, minimal leaks, and as few details in the press as possible.
A prenuptial agreement played a key role here. Under its terms, only the assets acquired during the marriage are subject to division; each spouse’s personal assets accumulated before the wedding remain with their respective owner. For families in which both partners are major sports brands and independent business entities, such conditions have long since become the norm: it is about protecting both capital and reputation.
Representatives of the former couple emphasize that there will be no further statements and that the main priority now is to safeguard the peace and privacy of their three children.
Warning Signs: Missing Rings and On-Air Chemistry
The official announcement merely confirmed what the sports world had been whispering about for several months. Fans and tabloids noticed that the couple had not appeared together at public events for a long time, and that their wedding rings had quietly disappeared from their fingers. Even for a couple who had never overused joint appearances, this still looked like a worrying sign.
Schweinsteiger’s behavior on television also drew extra attention. Viewers noted an overly playful, almost flirtatious manner of communication between Bastian and his TV colleague Ester Sedlacek. Rumors appeared that they not only interacted warmly in the studio but also spent time together away from work, including going on holiday together.
At one point, Bastian once again showed up in front of the cameras with his wedding ring on, and on social media he unfollowed Ester’s account. It seemed that the crisis might be overcome, but by early summer it became clear that this had only been a brief pause before the final breakup.
Life After Divorce: Different Cities and New Relationships
Today, the paths of the former spouses have clearly diverged. Ana is increasingly seen with the children in Belgrade, where she has strong family roots and the support of her relatives. At the same time, legal and everyday ties still connect her to Palma and Mallorca, where the family lived for a long time and where the children went to school.
Schweinsteiger, meanwhile, has been seen more than once with a new girlfriend — Bulgarian Silva Kaptanova. According to media reports, their children attend the same school in Mallorca, which essentially explains how their paths crossed. For the former Bayern and Germany midfielder, who has practically a full collection of football trophies, this is a new stage of life — no longer in professional football, but still under the close scrutiny of the cameras.
When Personal Life Outweighs Sporting Honors
The story of the breakup between Ana Ivanovic and Bastian Schweinsteiger resonates painfully with fans precisely because their union was perceived as an example of harmony between two big stars. She was winning titles on the tennis court and climbing to the top of the world rankings; he was collecting trophies on the football pitch and became a world champion. From the outside, everything looked like a perfect picture: successful careers, a family, children, warm archive shots from their wedding.
But even the loudest and brightest star unions have an inner side that remains invisible to millions of fans. In such cases, the talk of “irreconcilable differences” serves as a reminder that neither the number of titles, nor the size of contracts, nor magazine covers can guarantee family happiness.
The couple ask that their privacy be respected and that people think first and foremost about their children, who will now grow up in two homes. And for the world of sport, this story is yet another piece of evidence that for people accustomed to the pressure of finals and decisive matches, the hardest battles are not always on the court or on the pitch, but at home, behind closed doors.
