What’s common between Zendaya, Rebel Wilson, Steve Carrell, Ben Stiller, and Russell Crowe? No, they are not part of an ensemble cast of an upcoming movie. Turns out, all these Hollywood A-listers are fond of tennis. But guess what? There’s one more prominent face of the entertainment industry who’s previously confessed to “love this game”. It’s Interstellar fame and Oscar-winning actor Matthew McConaughey. If you have been following ATP pro Tommy Paul, you already know about the shoutouts he’s received from McConaughey. But hey, the actor’s a fan of WTA too! He showed it with a special cameo at the ATX Open on Saturday. Much to the delight of Jessica Pegula!

At the beginning of the season, she failed to lift the trophy at the Adelaide International when Madison Keys beat her. But Pegula went past that disappointment to prove that she’s back in form. She secured a spot in the second final of her 2025 season after she beat Ajla Tomljanović 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 in the SF round in Austin. And to cheer her, McConaughey was present in the stands.

He just doubled her happiness after she made a place in the championship match for Monday. “I definitely did not have that on my bingo card, seeing him like 30 minutes before the match. I was like, ‘That’s pretty cool,” she said during an on-court interview, as reported by WTA’s website on March 2. Interestingly, she also revealed her special wish while urging the Dallas Buyers Club star for a shoutout.

“I know he’s always supporting a lot of sporting events … I always see him tweeting at Tommy Paul, so maybe now I’ll get an at-shoutout, maybe,” she quipped. And guess what? Later, the actor delivered on his promise.

On his X, he wrote, “I hear you @JPegula, see you in Finals tomorrow at ATX” in a post dated March 2. It didn’t take long for Pegula to notice this special mention. Thanking McConaughey, she replied, “😂🙌🏼 thanks for coming out to support!”

On previous occasions, McConaughey has been seen supporting Pegula’s compatriot and World No.9 Tommy Paul. Remember how he praised him during the Italian Open in May 2024? After Paul entered the semis of the ATP 1000 event, the actor wrote on X, “looks like the early year @TommyPaul1 train is back on track after it was interrupted by the ankle. Looking good TP. Roll.”

Later, in an interaction with Sports Illustrated, in August, Paul expressed his gratitude. “When he tweeted at me, I thought it was amazing. He’s so talented and one of the best actors out there.” Even this year, during the Australian Open, after he won his third round, McConaughey wrote on X, “@TommyPaul1 1,1 and ONE”

But do you know there’s another popular tennis icon who McConaughey admires a lot? Well, it’s none other than “GOAT” Novak Djokovic!

When Novak Djokovic received a “GOAT” shoutout from Matthew McConaughey

Last season, Novak Djokovic mostly struggled due to his injuries and didn’t make a lot of on-court appearances. But he did show his class at the Slams. Take for example, the 2024 French Open. Before he withdrew his name ahead of the QF stage, due to a knee injury, he proved why he’s the best among the rest of the ATP pros.

After the 24-time Slam king won his second-straight five-setter in the fourth round against Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo, McConaughey couldn’t help but confess that he’s “The GOAT. more than a mental machine. @DjokerNole,” read his X post, dated June 2024.

For the uninitiated, they both are good friends too. On a previous occasion, he was also seen cheering him up during the 2023 US Open from the Serbian player’s box. Following his 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 victory over Daniil Medvedev in the final at the Flushing Meadows, Djokovic embraced McConaughey in pure joy.

Being a huge tennis fan and casual player himself, he shared a post last April on Instagram. McConaughey revealed a picture from the tennis court, while posing with a racket and wrote, “love this game”. He was donned a fashionable outfit that included a sweat-drenched shirt and a bandana. Well, the post drew some special replies, including the one from Novak himself. “Got any tips?”, he wrote while asking for style suggestions from the actor.

What are your thoughts on Matthew McConaughey’s immense passion for tennis? Let us know in the comments below.