Jannik Sinner’s bid for a third consecutive Australian Open title was ended by a resurgent Novak Djokovic this year at the semi-final stage. But the four-time Grand Slam champion’s partner, Laila Hasanovic, was not present to witness this defeat.
Sinner had not lost a match in Melbourne in over three years when he squared off against the fine-wine-aged Djokovic in the semi-finals and he soon found himself holding a 2-1 lead. But Djokovic fought back and rallied remarkably to beat Sinner 3-2 and make yet another major final at the age of 38, where he’ll play Carlos Alcaraz. The Italian was not without his support at Rod Laver Arena but despite the partners of other tennis stars making headlines at the Australian Open, his significant other was not in attendance and the reason for her snub has been revealed.
The 25-year-old Danish model is usually in Sinner’s player box for all his big Grand Slam matchups and was there in 2025 at the French Open final and his Wimbledon triumph. Though these came before they made their relationship official.
However, she chose to bypass Melbourne and the reason for the snub was career-driven as Hasanovic was spotted at Fashion Weeks around Europe. It was the model’s social media activity that gave away the reason for her absence, with her walking at Copenhagen and Paris Fashion Weeks around the time her partner was playing.
Hasanovic chose to prioritise her modelling career and so could not be there to cheer on Sinner when he faced off against Djokovic or quarter-final opponent Ben Shelton. The pair went public with their romance at the Vienna Open in October 2025. Sinner beat Zverev in the final and during his victory speech, he spoke openly about their relationship for the first time.
“It was such a difficult start in this final for me. I went a break down, had some chances in the first set but couldn’t use them,” said Sinner after the win.
“Zverev was serving very well, but I just tried to stick there mentally and play my best tennis when it came. To everyone here, my family, my girlfriend, my friends and my whole team watching from home, thank you so much for your support.”
The Danish influencer and model was in the crowd that day next to Sinner’s parents, though the Italian is not her first high-profile partner. Before Sinner, Hasanovic dated former Formula 1 driver Mick Schumacher, son of the legendary Michael.
Hasanovic and Schumacher were an item for roughly three years before going their separate ways in April 2025. In May, Sinner also split with a former partner when he and fellow tennis star Anna Kalinskaya ended things.