The experience of partners of male professional athletes: a systematic review of the literature

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A group that also goes through the trials and tribulations of the male elite sportsman’s career is his wife, girlfriend, or romantic partner. Without much attention from researchers, the first-hand experience of wives and girlfriends of professional athletes has not often been captured in the literature. This systematic review aims to capture what currently exists in academic literature about the experience of partners of professional athletes. Nine qualitative studies were selected after meeting criteria for eligibility, relevance, and quality standards. Thematic synthesis was used to analyse the data. Four themes were conceptualised: (i) Experiencing a relationship in the public eye, (ii) What’s behind the curtain?: What outsiders may not be privy to. Being stereotyped in a world of uncertainty, (iii) The partner navigating unchartered waters. Coping with a transient lifestyle and identity, (iv) Two sides of the same coin: Partners managing dissonance. The reality of being the partner of a professional athlete. This review gathered that the experience of being the partner of a male professional athlete is much more similar than distinct across the included sport affiliations and countries of residence. Because of the commonalities, the findings suggest that attempts to improve the standard of support for athletes and their partners could draw on diverse literature from different countries and sporting industries to inform decision-making. Further discussions of strengths, limitations, and directions for future research are included.