Love sometimes means putting aside the protective gear, even when your doctor tells you not to. For Tommy Paul, that meant taking off the medical boot protecting his ruptured foot tendon to propose to his girlfriend, Paige Lorenze. The American tennis star wasn’t about to let an injury ruin one of the most important moments of his life.
Why Did Tommy Paul Remove His Medical Boot for the Proposal?
Speaking to the Tennis Channel during the ongoing 2025 Cincinnati Open, Paul detailed what happened in the days leading up to his engagement with Lorenze. “After Wimbledon, I went into a boot for 2 weeks, which wasn’t ideal, but I took the boot off when I got engaged, when I bent the knee,” Paul disclosed.
The romantic gesture didn’t go unnoticed. Even Lorenze, 26, was surprised when Paul turned up for the big moment without his protective boot on, though she still didn’t see the proposal coming.
“When they told me I was going in a boot, I was like ‘Am I doing this in a boot? But took it off,” Paul revealed. “Somehow, she (Lorenze) didn’t know that it was coming when I took the boot off even.”
Paul revealed that the proposal occurred in Nantucket, a former whaling capital known for its historic architecture and beautiful beaches. However, the weather nearly derailed his original plans.
“Her family does vacation in Nantucket every year, and I was going to do it at the beach but I checked the weather literally three days before I went there, and I was like, ‘It’s raining every day, this is not going to be good.'”
The 28-year-old tennis pro had to get creative with his backup plan, enlisting Lorenze’s friends to help pull off the surprise. “So, ended up renting a little cottage in Nantucket for a night and had her friends tell her that we were going to a pregame.”
Paul continued, “They were all involved and then we got there, and it was all set up. Hit her with the spiel and bent the knee. It was pretty special.”
MORE: Tommy Paul’s Fiancée Paige Lorenze Reveals the Truth Behind Their Unfilmed Engagement
The duo first met at the 2022 US Open and confirmed their relationship in October of that same year. Lorenze, an influencer, entrepreneur, and business owner, often accompanies Paul to tournaments and posts about their adventures on her social media platforms.
After the end of this year’s Wimbledon, the couple announced their engagement in a joint Instagram post that included a photo of their ring. “forever 🤍,” the duo captioned the post.
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Lorenze has over a million followers on Instagram, where she shares key moments from her life, including her relationship with Paul.
Meanwhile, Paul’s season has been a battle against injuries. He suffered an abdominal injury during his run to the Roland Garros quarterfinals, which forced him to withdraw from defending his title at the Queen’s Club championships. His return at Wimbledon was short-lived as he lost in the second round to Austria’s Sebastian Ofner in four tightly contested sets, rupturing his foot tendon in the process.
However, Paul has bounced back at the Cincinnati Masters, where he made quick work of his first-round opponent, Pedro Martinez, cruising past him 6-2, 6-2. The No. 13 seed will next face French veteran Adrian Mannarino as he continues his comeback from the injury-plagued stretch.
