Serena Williams and beau Patrick Mouratoglou cosy up for a series of selfies at Perth airport ahead of the Hopman Cup tournament
She has a reputation the world over as a fearsome competitor who hates to lose.
But as World No.1 Serene Williams landed at Perth airport on Saturday, all that appeared to occupy her mind was the angle that showed off her best side as she posed for snaps with beau Patrick Mouratoglou.
The 33-year-old – who will use the tournament as a springboard for her assault on the Australian Open and a 18th grand slam title – cosied up with her coach and beamed for a series of selfies.
The 5ft 9ins star looked in perky spirits as she beamed for the phone camera wearing thick-rimmed glasses and clad in dark sports clothes and trainers.
She wore just a slick of rouge and left her long ringlets loose over her shoulders as she chatted animatedly to her trainer, whom she first fell for in September 2012.
Her jewellery was kept to a minimum with just two rings on one fingers, a simple chain and a gold bracelet.
For his part, Mouratoglou, who runs a tennis academy in France and has been working with Williams since her early departure from French Open in 2012, looked relaxed in slashed jeans a casual jacket.
The pair appeared comfortable in each other’s company outside the international airport as they greeted fans and journalists and chatted about the week-long tennis tournament.
At one stage Mouratoglou placed his arm gently on her back as they chatted to fans, standing barely inches apart.
Williams has previously been linked to actor and rapper Common, with whom she split in May 2010 after two years of dating.
The breakup came less than two weeks after Common, who is ten years her senior, told chat show host Ellen DeGeneres he was planning to marry the tennis champion.
Prior to her relationship with the entertainer, Serena dated actor Jackie Long and was also linked to film maker Brett Ratner.
Last month, she and Novak Djokovic were named as men’s and women’s World Champions for 2014 by the International Tennis Federation (ITF).
Williams won the US Open, the 18th Grand Slam title of her career, the WTA Tour Championship and was also ranked number one by the WTA.
At 33 she is the oldest player ever to be named an ITF Singles World Champion.
