Wimbledon is just around the corner; (Monday if you weren't sure), so cue the strawberries and cream, Murray mania and loads of tall, toned athletes in tight, white shorts!

From Nadal and Sharapova to Isner and Bouchard, the tennis world isn't short of attractive individuals! It begs the question: do tennis players make good dates?

Well, if you fancy dating a tennis player there's a bunch of good reasons to give it a try...

• With indoor and outdoor courts across the country, you’ll always have something to do on a date; just make sure they let you win sometimes.

• If you have a dog, they will love them. Why? Because tennis players have an endless supply of free tennis balls - doggy heaven!

• Tennis players love picnics, especially those that include strawberries.

• They're clean - tennis whites have to be kept pristine so you'll have expert advice on the best way to remove any grass stains which may occur after a game or other activities... ahem.

• You'll be able to spot them in a crowd. Tennis players are regularly more than 6 feet tall... Ivo Karlovic is the tallest male professional player, measuring 6 feet 10 inches tall, and Eva Hrdinová is the tallest female professional player, measuring 6 feet 3 inches.

• Tennis players have a good firm handshake, an essential when meeting the parents.

• Many tennis players do a lot of traveling, flying all around the world for tournaments -  wives, husbands, girlfriends and boyfriends are a regular sights at sun drenched courts around the world (this could be you!)

• No more arguments over who mows the lawn, tennis players can't abide anything but a short, freshly trimmed lawn.

and finally...

• They live to serve - sorry but we couldn’t resist! Don't worry, we're Wimble-done with these silly puns now...

Find your ideal doubles partner with Flirtify...

15:49

We have the answer…

Spring and summer lead the way with fake tanning mishaps, trips to the sea side and yes, a wave of weddings, which can make it seem like suddenly everyone is getting hitched. But, on the contrary, a recent study has revealed that more of us are taking our time to get married these days than ever before.

The study revealed the number of single people out there is steadily rising and has been for the past decade. In 2005, (the year of Brangelina) the number of singles between 18 and 29 years old was just 49% while 32% were married. Compare that to today and things look very different - only 16% are married and a huge 64% are single. 

Nice to know then if you’re single right now, you're definitely not alone.
 

The study ends by saying: "this means that not only are fewer young adults married, but also that fewer are in committed relationships" - and I’m afraid we don’t agree...  

...but we think there is more to it than that.

Nowadays when we turn 18 we are more likely to be going onto further education until at least 21, or we are likely to begin working but live with our parents – a knock-on effect of the housing market crisis 10 years ago.

I mean how are we supposed to think about settling down and getting married when our last extravagant purchase was a Waitrose sandwich, and what about those who are cohabiting? It’s thought more than 14% of people are choosing to live together rather than marry today. 

So, is that why more of us are 'single'?

Maybe we’re still meeting people and falling in love, but it’s the moving in so soon and the marriage part overall that is in decline - because lets face it, it's expensive!

The typical old age taboos around living together pre-marriage and having children very rarely apply anymore, it’s become the norm – and with the average wedding costing around £15,000, it’s no wonder many young couples are looking to buy before they tie. Until recently too marriage was primarily a religious ceremony, yet a recent census report those under 25 are more likely to have less religious belief than any other age group.

Which got us thinking… isn’t the point of being together to be happy?

Whatever your relationship status, don’t feel pressure to conform – just be happy with what you are! If that means single, then so be it, you're not alone! Waiting for the right person isn’t a compulsion, nor is it a ‘must do’ – more often than not the right person comes along when you least expect it.

So if you’re one of the 64% and single, don’t fret… be happy and head on to Flirtify!
 
Ps. Ever wondered where the best places to meet people are?

Islington in London is reported to be one of the top places to be single with 60% of people never marrying. Meanwhile ladies, if you’re sick of the lack of eligible single men near you, head to Richmondshire in North Yorkshire where there are 21 single men to every 10 single women.

17:16

This June we are not only celebrating Pride Month here at Flirtify, we are also coming out in full support of the LGBT community.

The highest court in the US is expected to announce its decision on same-sex marriage later this month deciding on the issue once and for all, for the entire country.

We believe falling in love is special and when it happens to you that you should be able to celebrate how you like, including marriage - so as we anxiously await the ruling in this history-making marriage equality case we’re taking a look at the support for the campaign and the beautiful couples who are making it all possible…


Everyone should have the chance to fulfill their hopes, dreams and be able to celebrate their love as equal members.

At Flirtify we understand #lovecantwait

13:47

by Emma Kenny 

Often, our online persona can be full of banter and confidence. However, transferring this into a real life interaction takes courage and this, understandably, means that we sometimes avoid meeting face to face. 

When I interviewed Emma Kenny recently in London, we chatted about dating for Flirtify’s recent blog 'The Dating Game' - naturally you can’t talk about dating without sharing a story or two, so that's just what we did. We talked about our own experiences, our mishaps, our embarrassing moments and the confidence it takes to date. I didn't think much about it until this appeared in my inbox a few days later...   

Emma's advice: Fake it till you make it!

Here is what she had to say: Online dating is something that more and more of us are using in a bid to meet our perfect match but, for many of us, moving from sitting in front of our screens to sitting in front of an actual person can feel daunting.  

Acting confidently by smiling, having an open body posture, making eye contact, asking questions and being interested in your date will make you appear confident. What’s more, the way we appear makes others reflect that behaviour, thereby reinforcing our confident and engaging behaviour. It won’t take long before feeling confident becomes second nature.

Make an effort in your choice of outfit because, if you look good, you will automatically feel better about meeting someone new. Turning up in a sharp suit or a gorgeous new dress will give you a confidence boost and, even better, you will look fantastic too. 

Nerves and excitement are the same feeling – it’s just that one is experienced negatively and the other positively. Instead of allowing the nerves to get the better of you, re frame any anxious feelings into excitement and put yourself in a positive frame of mind. I promise - the results will amaze you

Adopt a ‘so what?’ attitude! So many of us worry about our date not liking us that it knocks our confidence. The truth is, however, that every failed date is simply a date closer to finding your perfect match. Instead of feeling let down, rejected and dejected when dates don’t work out, give yourself a pat on the back for being in the game and know you are one step closer to finding ‘the one’.

When you arrange to meet up, make sure it’s somewhere that feels comfortable. Ideally, agree to do something such as meeting for coffee and cake. This kind of interaction is less intimidating and means there is not an expectation to spend an entire evening together if things are not going so well! Of course, if things are going swimmingly, you can always extend the date however you fancy.

Remember that your date is probably feeling exactly the same as you! We often become a little introspective when we are in new situations and its fine to acknowledge this. If you find yourself stuck for words, or jabbering on about nothing, then stop, take a deep breath and simply tell your date you are a bit nervous - chances are they will tell you they feel exactly the same.

Taking positive risks increases self-confidence! The more risks we take, the more successful our lives tend to be. Going on a date can feel risky, but ultimately the confidence you will gain from feeling the fear and doing it anyway is well worth the reward. 

And who knows Emma, we may receive the ultimate reward and meet someone special! 

Are you ready to take Emma's advice and embrace thosefirst date jitters? Don't waste another moment, go to Flirtify now x

12:51

by Emma Kenny

 

TV psychologist, presenter and writer Emma Kenny is currently busy launching her latest venture aiming to help people find the balance in their busy lives.

Famous for her TV appearances and work on shows such as Big Brother and Chanel 4’s The Joy of Teen Sex, Emma took time out of her busy schedule to share her views on dating with us.

 

We met up with the lovely Emma Kenny for a coffee in London and I admit I wasn’t sure what to expect. All my research online hadn’t told me much about this lady’s personality, but she was so friendly. I instantly knew it was her as she walked in, waving animatedly at me as she made her way across the coffee shop. Dressed in a long black dress paired with simple gold jewellery, she looked elegant yet ready for anything.

We ordered coffee and cake – she insisted, and I asked her what had led her to where she was today… she explained that she would run 6 miles every evening and had a really good social life, but when she became a single mum that all changed; she was faced with finding her own balance.

"Being single can be fun but,

for most of us, meeting the one

is something we all want to

achieve eventually."

What do you think of online dating?
Well today much of our search for the elusive Mr. or Miss Right happens online - on dating sites like Flirtify, and it makes sense because we all have such busy lives.

So, how do you start searching for the ideal date?
Very often people make some school-boy errors when setting their search criteria. There are a few no brainers, such as age and gender, but often people get too picky and start cutting out vast amounts of potential matches.

Would you recommend leaving the search criteria off then?
No, all I’m saying is if you don't have kids, you may not want to take someone else's on. Or if you hate smoking you’d be sure that you didn't want to date a smoker, etc.

But kids grow up and smokers can kick the habit, so why exclude them from your searches, I say? I understand why; people want to find the perfect person, but what if your perfect person is as imperfectly perfect as you?

"What if your perfect

person is as imperfectly

perfect as you?"

So there is no Mr or Mrs Perfect?
In a way - you see that's the beauty of us humans, we are all flawed and we could all list traits about ourselves that would make a stranger take a wide birth.

Trying to create the perfect match by closing parameters and making negative assumptions about people due to their 'baggage' actually limits our chances of happiness. Think about it for a minute - when you meet someone new outside of the cyber world, you don't stand there with a questionnaire and have them answer a pile of questions before deciding whether they are deserving of your company! Real life isn't like that.

"We meet and like people,

irrespective of their history

- that's attraction"

A good exercise is to reflect on all the different people you have been attracted to in the past. Look at the diversity and think about both the subtle and more obvious things that attracted you to them - it's amazing how varied these will be.

So, next time you search for your ideal match online remember that very often what we think we want may not be what we need after all.

Emma x

We'll be speaking to Emma again soon, but until then approach dating with an open mind! Join Flirtify today.

16:30