The three-decade-long love story between Todd Woodbridge and Natasha Provis is one of the most enduring romances in tennis. The two of them were teenage sweethearts who married in 1995 and have been together since. Woodbridge has often given his wife, who was the driving force behind the scenes, a huge share of the credit for his on-court success. The Australian didn’t shy away from showing deep affection for his partner even now.

Woodbridge, in an interview, pointed out that with the support his wife gave him, his problem is when people ask his wife what she does, and slammed the people who subject her to these questions.

“It’s a rude question, I think,” said Woodbridge, speaking to Nine.com.AU. “It’s rude because Tash played the role of partner, wife, psychologist, running our travel, running our house, putting the kids through school, while I was focused on one thing, and that was a job on its own.”

The 22-time Major champion defended his wife, who had to fulfill multiple roles behind the scenes in both her personal and professional lives as Woodbridge navigated hectic schedules throughout the year, playing all over the world and covering extensive travel.

For Woodbridge and Natasha, it started in their teens, when she was 16, and he was 18. Coincidentally, it was Natasha’s sister, Nicole, who introduced the two of them, and the interesting nugget there is that Nicole herself was an accomplished tennis player, winning an Olympic Bronze in Barcelona and reaching the French Open semifinals in 1988. So one could say that Natasha knew what she was getting into when she decided to support Todd in his tennis journey.

Woodbridge’s success was not limited to the court; he went on to become one of Australia’s most credible broadcasters, working for two of the country’s most prestigious networks: Channel Seven and Channel Nine. Later, he transitioned to hosting reality TV shows, during which he won multiple broadcasting awards, all of which would not have been possible without Natasha’s support.

Tennis has seen stories of couples in which one partner had to give up their ambitions to support the other, who played the sport. Roger Federer never hesitated to give his wife, Mirka, the credit she deserved for providing emotional support throughout his career, while also serving as his PR manager. Yes, she suffered injuries, but she chose to give up her own tennis career, being the driving force behind one of the most legendary careers in the sport. On the women’s side, Ons Jabeur‘s husband, Karim, gave up his personal goals by joining the Tunisian team as her physio. He actively supported Jabeur’s career, which saw he reach three Grand Slam finals between 2022 and 2023.

One could argue that Natasha’s support over the years worked wonders for Woodbridge, as he changed the face of doubles tennis in the 90s.

Todd Woodbridge changed the sport with Natasha’s support behind the scenes

Woodbridge was committed to both tennis and his personal relationship with Natasha, which is significant as getting married in one’s 20s could be a challenge for a top tennis player. However, the Australian legend knew what he wanted and received his wife’s unconditional support. “By her own choice, she gave up her own challenges to do the ones for us,” said Woodbridge. “At that age, a lot of people go on gap years and stuff, but this was it. This was the commitment, and I think that’s pretty rare”.

Natasha’s choices paid off as Woodbridge, along with Mark Woodforde, changed the way in which doubles was played. The Australian pair, affectionately known as “The Woodies”, hooked audiences and experts with their unique tactical play.

The Woodies dominated the doubles scene in the 90s, winning 11 Major titles across all four surfaces. They also had a great record while representing their nation, winning gold and silver at the Olympics in 1996 and 2000, respectively.

Woodbridge was a complete doubles player, as proved when the long-standing partnership with Woodforde ended. Along with Jonas Björkman, he won five more Major titles, and also had six mixed doubles titles at Majors, partnering with multiple players. However, Woodbridge was not a bad singles player either, as the Australian won two ATP Tour titles in nine finals, reaching a career-high ranking of 19.