How Australian tennis star Thanasi Kokkinakis almost met his VERY glamorous ex at the Melbourne Cup

Australian tennis star Thanasi Kokkinakis risked running into his glamorous ex-girlfriend Hannah Dal Sasso at the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday, just over a month after their split was made public.

The pair were both pictured at Flemington for Australia’s big race, along with many other sports stars and celebrities.

Outsider Knight’s Choice produced a remarkable performance to beat favorites Buckaroo, Onesmooth operator and the Willie Mullins-trained Vauban to win the showpiece event via a photo finish.

The horse, ridden by Irish-born jockey Robbie Dolan, was backed at 100/1 ahead of the race.

Many sports stars, celebrities and public figures enjoyed the festivities in Melbourne on Tuesday, with Dal Sasso and Kokkinakis both in attendance.

Fresh from beating Rinky Hijikata at the New South Wales Open last month, Kokkinakis appears to be enjoying some time away from the court as the ATP Tour ends ahead of the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin next week.

The 28-year-old was also presented with the Melbourne Cup before it was handed over to Dolan after the race, as he posed with the coveted trophy backstage at Flemington.

Dal Sasso, meanwhile, was one of many racegoers wearing red for the event, with the entrepreneur arriving at the race track in a stunning custom-made dress designed by Melbourne designer Madoh. The dress had a corset top and a deep neckline.

Dal Sasso posted a photo and video of herself wearing the silk dress on her Instagram Story and was praised by fans in the comments.

One wrote: “No words,” while another added: “You never disappoint.”

Australian tennis star Thanasi Kokkinakis was pictured playing the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday

His ex-girlfriend Hannah Dal Sasso was also seen at the event and dazzled in a beautiful red dress

It comes just over a month after the Australian entrepreneur and tennis star’s divorce became public news

The tennis world was shocked in September after Kokkinakis and Dal Sasso quietly split, with fans online noticing the Australian couple had unfollowed each other on Instagram.

It is understood that they had been together for about a year and a half and had maintained a long-distance relationship while Kokkinakis traveled the world competing on the ATP Tour.

This season, Kokkinakis claimed his first clay-court title since 2021 in Sarasota on the Challenger Tour before reaching the third round at the French Open, his highest finish in men’s singles at a Grand Slam.

Dal Sasso owns and operates her own online clothing rental business, Styled By Mim, which rents designer clothing to people across Australia.

She is also a model and marketer and has more than 62,000 followers on Instagram.

The pair were pictured together at Wimbledon earlier this year before traveling with him to the US for part of the US summer swing.

Their relationship first became public when the pair were photographed at Glamor on the Grid in Melbourne in March 2023.

She had previously spoken out about the difficulties of maintaining a long-term relationship, with Kokkinakis often away on the ATP Tour.

“We’ve just had a lovely month together and I miss him already – long distance is really hard,” Hannah told the Herald Sun.

“Thanasi is really dedicated to his tennis and he puts everything into it and I am so proud of him.”

Dal Sasso owns and operates her own online clothing rental company, Styled By Mim, and also works as a model and marketer

Kokkinakis recently claimed victory at the New South Wales Open, posting a photo of himself and a friend heading to the races on Tuesday

The tennis star had paid tribute to his ex-girlfriend earlier in May after advancing to the second round of the French Open with a win against Alexei Popyrin.

‘[I’m a] Late bloomer, you might say, so I try, but that also comes with its challenges. But she has been great,” he said.