Champion swimmer Ariarne Titmus reveals her new romance at the Australian Open: ‘I’m very happy’

Australian champion swimmer Ariarne Titmus was spotted at the Australian Open on Thursday watching the semi-finals with her new boyfriend.

The Olympic gold medalist, 24, was seen sitting next to a Melbourne man named Mark in the VIP section as they both watched a gripping match.

Ariarne put on a chic display in a denim jacket as she enjoyed her day out next to her hunky new partner.

The Tasmanian-born athlete later revealed how they met and expressed her delight at how well things were going between them.

‘It’s our first night out in the wild. We met three months ago and I’m very happy,’ Ariarne told the Herald Sun.

She was also seen chatting to Melbourne Cup Winner Michelle Payne on the enjoyable day out. 

The energetic athlete has previously been romantically linked to fellow Australian swimmer Kyle Niesler and NRL star Ryan Papenhuyzen.

Ariarne was recently named as Channel Nine’s newest tennis commentator alongside Aussie canoeist Jessica Fox for the Australian Open. 

The decision raised eyebrows among fans considering they have no experience covering tennis, but Ariarne appeared unfazed during filming. 

She is following in the footsteps of her father, Channel 7 newsreader Stephen Titmus, as she turns to presenting while taking a year-long break out of the swimming pool.

Tennis fans were surprised to learn Channel Nine had signed up Ariarne and Olympic canoeist Jessica as part of the network’s 2025 Australian Open coverage.

The duo are looking to provide colour for viewers from Melbourne Park and Ariarne told how she is excited to get out of her comfort zone with the new gig.

‘I have always been a tennis fan and having the chance to be at the Australian Open in this capacity is very exciting,’ she told News Corp.

‘The AO encompasses Australian culture and our love for sport as a nation. It will be a new and challenging experience being on the other end of the mic, but one I am very grateful for.

‘I’m also looking forward to working alongside a great team and broadening my skills outside of the pool.’

Ariarne won gold in the women’s 400m freestyle and the 4x200m freestyle relay at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

She is now broadening her skills away from the pool. 

Last year, the athlete discussed how  she almost didn’t make it to the Paris Games after scans revealed two benign tumours on her ovary during a scan for an injury.

The prospect of infertility reminded Titmus that having a family was much more important to her than a swimming career and changed her relationship with her body.

‘It put a lot of things into perspective for me. My body isn’t just a vehicle to train, my body’s purpose, really, is to carry a child one day,’ she said on Inherited. 

‘And that really hit home to me, it made me realise how much I want to be a mum, and it made swimming almost seem a bit irrelevant at the time.

‘But then it also made me think, ‘You know what? I’ve got prime position going into these Games, I’ve got a red hot crack here at defending my titles and coming home with gold medals. Bad things can happen in life all the time and stump you, so make the most of this opportunity’.

‘I think after that operation I just went crazy.’

Titmus now has a different outlook on life and says her future family is much more important than the Olympic gold medals she has won.

‘I’ve always wanted to be a mum, but it (the health scare) probably made me realise how much I want it,’ she said.

‘I would give up every gold medal I’ve ever won to have a child.

‘I just have such maternal instincts, and I think the fear of potentially that becoming harder by the prospect of losing the ovary was really tough.

‘I’m so lucky that I’ve got the best mum in the world, and I just want to be that one day.’