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Maria Kirilenko and Alex Ovechkin End Engagement


One of hockey and tennis’s most celebrated power couples is on thin ice no more. The Russian Tennis Federation announced on Sunday that former top ten WTA star Maria Kirilenko and Russian hockey superstar Alexander Ovechkin have ended their relationship.

More Heartache: McIlroy Ends Engagement to Wozniacki with Phone Call

In a statement posted on the Russian website Rsport.ru, Kirilenko said: "I have decided to terminate the engagement. There are many reasons, but I do not want to go into details. I'll say one thing: our relationship is completed, but I respect Sasha as a person and athlete and I sincerely wish him continued athletic success."

She added: "I am currently also focused on preparing for the next tournament and I hope that I will soon be able to please fans with news not only about my personal life, but also about my athletic success.”

Kirilenko and Ovechkin had been dating for three years and became formerly engaged in 2012. Their relationship had become popular in the public eye thanks to their willingness to share their romantic photos on social media. Ovechkin spent many hours watching Kirilenko on the WTA Tour, while Kirilenko was also spotted in Washington, D.C., where she attended Ovechkin’s Washington Capital games.

Reportedly, the break-up was spurred by an innocuous-looking photo that had surfaced on social media of Ovechkin with Russian gymnast Karolina Sevastyanova, posted by one of Ovechkin’s friends. But Sevastyanova also posted photos, apparently from a holiday at the beach, which show her next to Ovechkin.

Update: According to Deadspin.com, Kirilenko says the rumor of her breaking up with Ovechkin because of a picture is not true. Here's what she had to say:

"Believe me, over the years I have seen so many pictures of Sasha in the company of young ladies, that I have gotten used to it. That is normal. We are public figures, and people often want to take pictures with us. This is the first time I heard about this girl, and I made my decision to break up the engagement long before these pictures appeared on the social networks. It is laughable to point to them as the main reason behind the breakup – after three years together couples do not break up over a couple of pictures. There are much more significant reasons. I will not go into any more details about them. But let's just say it is not a secret for anybody that Sasha has certain habits and particulars of behavior that I did not consider worth tolerating anymore."

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