{"id":29668,"date":"2025-07-29T09:49:08","date_gmt":"2025-07-29T09:49:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/29668\/"},"modified":"2025-07-29T09:49:08","modified_gmt":"2025-07-29T09:49:08","slug":"former-australian-tennis-star-sam-groths-relationship-with-wife-becomes-hot-political-football","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/29668\/","title":{"rendered":"Former Australian tennis star Sam Groth\u2019s relationship with wife becomes hot political football"},"content":{"rendered":"

Questions are suddenly being asked about former Australian tennis star<\/a> Sam Groth and his relationship with his wife, Brittany.<\/p>\n

Groth is now deputy leader of the Victorian Liberal party and the questions are centreing on how their relationship started way back in 2011 when Groth was coaching at Templestowe Park tennis club.<\/p>\n

Brittany was also at the club and she would have been 16 or 17 at the time.<\/p>\n

Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today \"Download<\/a><\/p>\n

Groth is about seven years older.<\/p>\n

The Victorian law says: \u201cIf you are between 16 and 17 years old, even if you agree, a person who is caring for you or supervising you (like a teacher, youth worker or foster carer) can\u2019t have sex with you, touch you sexually or get you to touch them sexually, perform a sexual act in front of you.\u201d<\/p>\n

It has been reported that some of Groth\u2019s colleagues leaked their concerns to the media after Groth, 37, was made deputy leader in December.<\/p>\n

\"QuestionsQuestions have surfaced about the start of Sam Groth\u2019s relationship with now wife, Brittany. Credit: Getty Images<\/p>\n

The fear is now that the relationship, in its infancy, breached the law, and it could be used against Groth and his party during an election.<\/p>\n

Labor insiders are already calling it \u201cinappropriate\u201d.<\/p>\n

Labor Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas said on Tuesday: \u201cIf you\u2019re asking me whether I think it\u2019s appropriate for a person that is in a position of influence or authority, like a teacher or coach, to be dating a teenager, then the answer to that is no.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s evidence that the Liberals remain at war with one another, and quite clearly, if you can\u2019t govern yourselves, then you can\u2019t govern the state\u201d.<\/p>\n

Another senior Labor MP told News Corp<\/a>: \u201cWhat he has done is really not appropriate.\u201d<\/p>\n

Groth left his first wife Jarmila Wolfe (also a tennis player) in 2011. His relationship with Brittany followed not long after.<\/p>\n

The couple have previously discussed how their relationship started, with Brittany admitting they \u201cended up hitting with each other and connecting from there\u201d.<\/p>\n

She said Groth \u201cadded me on Facebook immediately … I think that I knew I wanted to be with him but he was in such a different space to what my friends and girlfriends were in.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 2017 Groth spoke to tennischannel.com about the start of their relationship.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe met during my year off. So I had that year off in 2011 where I sort of stepped away from tennis,\u201d Groth said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are actually from the same suburb in Melbourne, and I was coaching at a club and Brit was playing a little bit there … yeah, we sort of met through that time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brittany called it \u201cfate\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was only a few small weeks where we could have possibly met each other. It was a small local club, I mean not many people play there,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Opposition leader Brad Battin has defended Groth and called the questions over his relationship a dirty attack.<\/p>\n

\u201cAny attempt to besmirch the relationship of Sam, Britt and their children is a disgrace,\u201d Battin said.<\/p>\n

\u201cPolitics is a dirty business, but this attack has hit a new low in public life.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not the first time Groth has hit the headlines this year over allegations of impropriety.<\/p>\n

In May this year he was accused of getting drunk at the Australian Open and then using a colleague\u2019s chauffeur-driven vehicle to take him and his wife home.<\/p>\n

Groth had hosted a political fundraiser with Nationals MP Jade Benham and then entered a party zone at the tennis where it was claimed he got \u201csmashed\u201d.<\/p>\n

Then-opposition upper house leader Georgie Crozier lent him her car for the trip home and later said Victorians \u201cdeserve a lot better\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m incredibly disappointed,\u201d Crozier told media in May.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that Sam needs to explain his actions. I can\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

Groth was shadow minister for tourism, sport and events at the time, and the car was used for a trip from Melbourne Park to Rye on the Mornington Peninsula, a distance of about 100km.<\/p>\n

Groth later said he had nothing to hide and attended the 2024 Australian Open in both an official capacity and personal capacity.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was at the event to meet various stakeholders and attend meetings before being part of a fundraising initiative,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe accusations around intoxication are wrong.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything was and is above board.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Alex de Minaur\u2019s classy act immediately after epic final<\/p>\n

2 min read<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Tennis champion announces surprise split weeks before US Open<\/p>\n

3 min read<\/p>\n

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