Professional athletes often have it easy when it comes to attracting beautiful women.
With tons of fans watching them on the field or on the court, there's never a shortage
of gorgeous fans interested in dating a star.
Sometimes these women just so happen to be young…very young.
Though many popular athletes were once married to women with whom they were close in age,
some left those marriages behind to begin relationships with younger women who captured
their hearts.
Apparently, the massive age gaps just couldn't keep these older athletes and their young
partners from falling more deeply in love.
These athletes' relationships are proof that love knows no bounds.
Here are some sports star relationships with uncomfortable age gaps.
Derek Jeter's 'old soul' mate
Once upon a time, Derek Jeter was one of the sports world's most eligible bachelors.
He dated everyone from Mariah Carey to Jessica Bielaz, though no one locked him down for
long.
But the former New York Yankees star changed his relationship status from single to taken
when he met Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Hannah Davis in 2012.
Despite their 16-year age difference, a source told Us Weekly,
"Their relationship works because they are both supportive and sweet to each other.
[…] They almost never fight."
Perhaps they get along so well because Davis is more mature than her age would suggest.
A family friend told the New York Post,
"Her mom told me, when Hannah was about 16, that she was an 'old soul'.
[…] She definitely has a wisdom beyond her years."
The couple later tied the knot in 2016 when Davis was 26 and Jeter was 42.
And in August 2017, the couple welcomed a baby girl.
Julius Erving's younger mistress
Pro basketball player Julius Erving's philandering past is no secret — thanks to his autobiography,
Dr. J, where he spilled the tea on his womanizing ways.
As he explained, the Hall of Famer was married to his then-wife, Turquoise, at the height
of his career.
The couple had four children together, but having cheated multiple times, Erving would
father two children outside of his marriage.
The first child was with a woman named Samantha Stevenson, and the second child was carried
by his mistress, Dorýs Madden, who is 19 years his junior.
But Erving and Madden's relationship wasn't just a fling.
Instead, it appeared to be the real deal.
Erving and Madden got married in 2008 after he finalized his divorce, and they went on
to have two more children together.
Michael Jordan's 15-year gap
After divorcing his ex-wife, Juanita, in 2006 and being ordered to pay $150 million in the
divorce settlement, fans thought for sure that basketball legend Michael Jordan was
done with romance.
But the sports star hit a slam dunk when he met Yvette Prieto in 2008.
After getting engaged in 2011, the high-profile couple tied the knot in 2013, when Jordan
was 50 and Prieto was 35.
The following year, Prieto gave birth to twin daughters.
Wladimir Klitschko's knockout lady
It's pretty obvious that Nashville star Hayden Panettiere has a thing for older men.
During the height of her acting career, she dated her Heroes co-star Milo Ventimiglia
when she was barely 18, and he was 29.
After their 2009 breakup, Panettiere upped the stakes when she went completely gaga over
former professional boxer Wladimir Klitschko, who was 13 years her senior.
Even Panettiere knew that she and Klitschko were an odd match, telling Cosmo in 2014,
"On paper, a relationship between the two of us looked crazy.
From where we live to where we come from, the differences in our lives are fairly big."
After meeting at a book party and becoming an item in 2009, they briefly split before
getting engaged in October 2013.
The couple later welcomed their first child together in 2014.
Steve Nash's young lover
Although his first marriage to Alejandra Amarilla — with whom he shares three children — may
have hit the skids after nine years, that didn't deter former professional basketball
player, Steve Nash, from giving marriage another shot when he met Lilla Frederick.
He and Frederick, a former college volleyball player, got engaged in March 2016, according
to TMZ.
They later tied the knot in September of that same year when Frederick was just 26 and Nash
was 42.
Frederick gave birth to their son, Luca, in 2017, and the sports star and his young bride
were ecstatic about the new addition to their family.
Nash captioned a pic: "Mom's a serious champ and we're in love with this little guy."
Hines Ward's gameday gal
Former Pittsburgh Steelers player Hines Ward may not be on the field during game days anymore,
but the team's home stadium of Heinz Field was the backdrop for his 2014 wedding to Lindsey
Georgalas.
TMZ reported that the former wide receiver had been dating Georgalas since 2012.
Just after walking down the 50-yard line to say their "I do's," the couple appeared on
an episode of Celebrity Wife Swap in 2015 when Ward was 39 and Georgalas was 24.
During filming, Ward swapped partners with actor Verne Troyer, and told AJC that his
young bride was hesitant to appear on the reality show, but she was definitely game.
Fun fact: On their episode, Georgalas attempted to redecorate Troyer's game room, and the
Austin Powers star let out a huge fart, in protest.
Bjorn Borg's 'perfect life'
Swedish tennis champ Bjorn Borg was swarmed by fans during his heyday, thanks to his long
and luscious hair and, of course, his skills on the court.
He once told The Telegraph,
"There were girls on the way to the practice court, girls by the match court, and girls
waiting in the lobby of my hotel."
And after two failed marriages, he was finally able to rifle through a bevy of eager women
to finally find the girl of his dreams.
The five-time Wimbledon champ married Patricia Ostfeldt in 2002, according to Hello! magazine.
Borg was 46 on their wedding day and Ostfeldt was 35.
While their age gap may not seem that extreme, keep in mind that when Borg was 10 years old
Ostfeldt wasn't even born.
Even though they have more than a few years between them, Borg believes he's finally with
his one true love.
He told the newspaper,
"It feels as though I have found the right woman for me and I'm now living the way I
want to live.
I have the perfect life now and I wouldn't change a thing."
Tiki Barber's bombshell intern
Scandal erupted when former New York Giants and Today show host, Tiki Barber, was exposed
for having an affair with his babysitter-turned-NBC intern, Traci Lynn Johnson.
What made the story even more scandalous was the fact that Barber's wife, Ginny, was pregnant
with twins at the time he was engaging in the affair.
Eight days after his divorce was finalized, 37-year-old Barber wed 23-year-old Johnson
at the Manhattan Marriage Bureau.
Their union wasn't without backlash, though, especially after details leaked on just how
aggressively he had pursued Johnson.
A source told the New York Post,
"On her 21st birthday, he sent her 21 dozen roses to her dorm.
He also gave her a diamond and sapphire bracelet.
At this point, she had a boyfriend, and told him that she and Tiki were 'just friends,'
but nobody bought it."
With the scandal finally behind them, the couple has appeared to be more in love than
ever, and welcomed their second child together in 2016.
Robert Kraft's new love
Robert Kraft lost the love of his life, wife Myra, when she died of ovarian cancer in July
2011.
The owner of the New England Patriots found comfort in his football organization who graciously
dedicated the 2011 football season to Myra's memory.
Kraft described to the Boston Globe how he felt, having lost his wife, saying,
"I sort of feel robbed."
But a year after her passing, he found companionship in Ricki Lander, a dancer and actress who
was 39 years his junior.
While getting to know one another, Lander accompanied Kraft to various events, including
the 2015 Vanity Fair Oscar party and Fashion Week.
But, in an unusual twist, TMZ reported in early March 2018 that Lander had secretly
given birth to a baby — and it wasn't Kraft's.
At the time, Kraft's rep issued this statement:
"While Robert Kraft is not the biological father, he is thrilled with Ricki's blessing
of having a healthy child.
With respect to her family's privacy, we will not be commenting any further."
Kurt Angle's Arby's amore
Olympic gold medalist and WWE and TNA Hall of Famer, Kurt Angle, had just ended his first
marriage to Karen Smedley, when he met Giovanna Yannotti.
The two connected on the set of the 2009 movie End Game, according to an interview Yannotti
gave in 2016.
Completely ignoring their 18-year age gap, Yannotti fell in love with the sports star's
"big blue eyes."
After developing a friendship over a few years, he finally asked her out on a date to Arby's.
Friendship eventually turned into romance, and the couple later married in July 2012.
As of 2016, Angle and Yannotti have had three children together.
Because when it comes to true love, age is just a number.
Thanks for watching!
Click the Nicki Swift icon to subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Plus, check out this other cool stuff we know you'll love too!