Scandalous wedding of German tennis player: he danced to the song of the performer sanctioned by Ukraine
German tennis player Daniel Altmaier, the 46th racket in the world, married his fiancée, Mexican Paulina Anieto. On December 6-7, 2025, a ceremony took place during which he sparked controversy by dancing to the song of Russian singer Grigory Leps 'I am happy'. Leps is under sanctions from Ukraine, the EU, and Switzerland due to his support for the war in Ukraine.
Altmaier has roots in Eastern Europe through his Russian mother and Ukrainian father, which caused outrage over his actions. Recently, Ukrainian tennis player Lesia Tsurenko noted that some athletes had a lenient attitude towards tournaments in Russia at the beginning of the war, but now this position has changed due to the active stance of athletes who refuse to participate in such events.
As a result, Daniel Altmaier came under the spotlight due to his actions during the wedding, which became a reason to discuss his attitude towards the conflict in Ukraine and the overall stance on sanctions against Russia.