Asia Muhammad Marries James Cross in Vancouver During Post-Wimbledon Gap

Asia Muhammad, a 13-time WTA doubles champion, married James Cross on July 18 during the single open week of the year-round tennis schedule.

Asia Muhammad, the current world No. 40 in doubles and a 13-time WTA doubles champion, married James Cross on Saturday, July 18, in Vancouver, British Columbia. The ceremony took place during the solitary week of the calendar year when professional tennis players are free from the globetrotting tour schedule. Muhammad was one of several high-profile athletes to wed following Wimbledon, joining Daria Kasatkina, Tommy Paul, Tereza Mihalikova, and the pair of Katie Boulter and Alex de Minaur. While Muhammad peaked as high as No. 8 in the rankings, she had to navigate a schedule that began on January 2 in Australia and included a four-month stretch away from home between April and July for the clay and grass-court seasons.

Following a proposal last August, Muhammad and Cross secured a botanical garden for their ceremony and a hotel for the reception in October. The logistics required Muhammad to message wedding planners from New York during the previous year's US Open. Because of her professional commitments, the 35-year-old was unable to visit her ceremony site in person until the week of the wedding. She conducted a menu tasting as early as February to accommodate her travel schedule. Her preparation also involved purchasing two dresses from a Vancouver store in March, which necessitated a compressed fitting schedule of two adjustments in the final seven days before the event.

Wimbledon Logistics and Travel Timelines

Muhammad’s wedding week was dictated by her performance at the All England Club. Competing alongside doubles partner Fanny Stollar, Muhammad reached the round of 16. To minimize potential delays, she opted out of the mixed doubles draw. Following her exit from the tournament, she flew to Las Vegas on Wednesday, July 8, for hair and nail appointments. On Sunday, July 12—the same day as the Wimbledon doubles final—she boarded a 6 a.m. flight to Vancouver. Upon landing, she went immediately to a bridal store for her first dress fitting, followed by a second fitting on Tuesday.

Alex de Minaur and Katie Boulter held an intimate, impromptu ceremony in Boulter’s English hometown before traveling to Tuscany, Italy, for their primary wedding. Daria Kasatkina and her wife, an Olympic silver-medal-winning figure skater, opted for a destination ceremony on a beach in Greece. Tommy Paul married Paige Lorenze in New York on Tuesday of that same week. Jessica Pegula attended both Paul’s Tuesday ceremony and Muhammad’s Saturday wedding, highlighting the density of social events during the brief hiatus.

Bachelorette Parties and Tour Returns

Muhammad’s bachelorette party was organized by fellow WTA players Erin Routliffe and Alexa Guarachi. The group traveled to a lake 45 minutes outside of Vancouver for a day of boating on Tuesday. Due to the proximity of the wedding, Muhammad noted she limited her alcohol consumption to ensure her skin remained hydrated for the ceremony. The bridal shower took place on Friday morning, followed by a rehearsal dinner that evening. Approximately 10 WTA players were in attendance for the Saturday nuptials.

While Muhammad chose to skip the Mubadala DC Open to enjoy married life, her peers returned to competition immediately. De Minaur, Boulter, Kasatkina, Paul, and Mihalikova all competed in the 500-level event in Washington, D.C., the week following their weddings. De Minaur noted his honeymoon lasted only two days before he flew to the United States. Muhammad plans to return to the tour next week for the Canadian Open in Toronto, deferring her South Africa honeymoon until the off-season window in November. She described the reveal of her reception space as a moment of relief after months of planning from 4,700 miles away.