Tennis player spots a letter her boyfriend wrote at age 10. She instantly said 'yes'

There is something truly magical about childhood love. Long before the complexities of adulthood superimpose childhood innocence with maturity and rationality, a boy and a girl know what pure, untainted companionship feels like, that little moments matter. The love story of Beatriz Haddad Maia (@biahaddadmaia), aka Bia, is a glowing anecdote of this. In a July 8, 2026, Instagram post, she shared a photo of a Tiffany’s ring her childhood sweetheart recently gifted to her, along with a honey-sweet note he wrote as a 10-year-old boy.

Beauty of young love

Recently, Bia’s opening match on the Wimbledon grass courts in London, England, didn’t turn out quite well as she was defeated by Maria Timofeeva and had to exit early from the WTA Tour. However, the defeat was quickly neutralized by a surprise that sprang upon her. Her childhood boyfriend, neurosurgeon Alex Daoud (@alexmdaoud), proposed to her with a Tiffany’s ring and a time capsule that he recorded on August 7, 2006, as a 10-year-old boy.

Childhood prophecies come true

It was a simple handwritten note crafted on ruled notebook paper. On the note were details like his name, age, and date. Below these details was a note where he scribbled two of his big dreams. “When I grow up, I want to be a neurosurgeon,” said one dream, while the other said, “I want to marry Bia.” The montage of photos Bia shared included one of a glittering ring popping from inside a turquoise-colored jewel box from Tiffany’s, one from her childhood where the two were playing soccer together, and one of Bia flashing the ring on her finger.

The memory of a childhood proposal

In the caption, Bia reminisced about the little moments they spent as children and how the ring brought up all these memories. “After so many years, you're still that boy who gives me the same butterflies in my stomach as when we used to play soccer at age six, play ‘cops and robbers,’ and hang out with our cousins ​​and siblings to get up to mischief at the club haha,” she exclaimed. 

She revealed that at nine years old, Daoud proposed that she be his girlfriend and she displayed reluctance over it. Today, however, as their story comes full circle, she can’t stop remembering that little boy and the moments she spent with him all these years, up till adulthood. “You continue to be the same boy who wins me over every day with your love, care, and affection,” she wrote.

Are childhood sweethearts better partners?

Bia and Daoud’s love story is a swoon-worthy example of what researchers say: that childhood sweethearts go on to form more enduring relationships in marriage. However, this childhood love is becoming less common, as people are delaying their marriages more and more. According to The Knot's 2025 Real Weddings Study, only 8% of married couples first met in high school. High school dating has declined across generations: only 56% of Gen Z say they had a boyfriend or girlfriend during their teen years, compared with 69% of Millennials and 78% of Baby Boomers, as per a 2023 survey.

Oscar-worthy love story

Bia’s post received hundreds of comments from fans, including a note of congratulations from the WTA. @dra.carolina.haddad commented, “Deep down I always believed it!” @drpedroveronese said, “This boy is so focused!” @andreahaddadmaia remarked, “A story straight out of an afternoon movie session!”

You can follow Beatriz Haddad Maia (@biahaddadmaia) on Instagram for posts from her tennis matches.

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