The crowd of NYC went wild after watching the amazing game of Rinky Hijikata in the US Open 2022 against Rafael Nadal. Do you think the crowd included someone special who cheered for the tennis player’s win?
The crowd may have included someone special whose presence means quite a lot to Rinky. So, let’s find out the insight about Rinky Hijikata’s girlfriend, including her background and connection to tennis.
Meet Rinky Hijikata
- The professional player was born on 23 February 2001 in Sydney, Australia, to Japanese immigrants parents Makoto Hijikata and Junko Hijikata.
- Rinky started playing tennis at the early age of three. Rinky’s father is a tennis coach. Having a dad as a coach definitely influenced tennis in his life.
- The young tennis player is under the care of coach Mark Draper. Hijikata knows there are still many areas for improvement, so he is trying his best to perfect his skills through his dedication and immense hard work.
- In 2018, he won silver teaming up with Adrian Andreev, the tennis at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics – Boys’ doubles.
- The right-handed player turned professional in 2021, exploring more opportunities for high-class tournaments and exposure in tennis. Indeed his decision turns out to be advantageous for his career.
Who is Rinky Hijikata’s Girlfriend?
You do not need to find love. Instead, love will find you, but there should be a little bit of fate and destiny as well.
Love found its way to Rinky Hijikata in his college days. It was fate that Rinky moved to the US from Sydney and started college at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he met his girlfriend, Lauren Baddour.
The story of how they met is still a mystery. However, since they both are in the same university, there is a high possibility they met each other while pursuing studies.
Moreover, the universities set up assignment projects, shared classes, college events, and student clubs, which provides more opportunities to run into each other, so probably the beautiful duo met each other through these setups.
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The tennis player made public his relationship in 2021, sharing a photo of them on social media platforms, and since then, the happy couple hasn’t shied away from showing their love to their fans.
ALSO READ: Who is Raul Brancaccio’s Girlfriend? All You Need to Know.
More About Lauren Baddour
Lauren graduated her highschool in 2020 from Carrboro High School. After graduation, she attended the University of North Carolina.
Rinky Hijikata’s girlfriend is studying Bachelor of Arts specializing in journalism and will be graduating in 2024.
Moreover, Lauren has completed seven courses, including Diversity and Communication, Audio Journalism, and Public Affairs Reporting.
Rinky Hijikata’s partner has expanded the horizon in journalism, working as a sports reporter in Daily Tar Heel from August 2020 to December 2021.
Additionally, she worked as a sales associate in Madewell from May 2021 to July 2022.
Baddour is all set to start journalism as her professional-level career, as she is currently working as an editorial intern at HealthCentral.
Similarly, you may be interested in learning about lessons that we can learn from Catherine Burzik net worth.
Her Connection With Tennis
Just like Hijikata, his lover Lauren, too, was passionate about tennis from a young age and played tennis with her brother Johnathan Baddour in her hometown Chapel Hill.
Both of them trained in tennis together and were part of the Greene County Tennis Association. Lauren participated in various tournaments throughout her childhood.
In 2016, Rinky Hijikata’s love interest made a remarkable accomplishment by reaching the finals in the girls 14’s singles category at the Polar Bear Shootout USTA L4 Junior Tennis Tournament.
Baddour showcased her tennis skills by winning the esteemed 2019 NCHSAA 2-A singles state championship at the Cary Tennis Center.
So, one of the crucial factors that connects Lauren and Ricky is tennis. The interest they have in tennis might have acted as a bridge between them.
Moreover, their relationship is strengthening as Lauren can understand and support Ricky even in his professional career.
Lastly, we hope this beautiful couple stays together and supports each other in their individual and partnership journey.
