Love-Love

By Lisa Arnett
November 2025 View more Better Together

Two tennis players find their doubles partner for life

Newlyweds Sophia Davis and Pedja Trifunovic first met while playing on the tennis team at Lewis University in Romeoville, but it wasn’t quite love at first serve.

Davis was raised in Mokena, just eight miles from campus; Trifunovic, on the other hand, flew 5,000 miles from his hometown of Aleksandrovac, Serbia. “We started out as friends because I had my high school boyfriend, and Pedja had a girlfriend back in Serbia,” Davis says. “After our freshman year, Pedja went back to Serbia for the summer, and I was at home, and we came back to campus single and things changed. We went from doing homework to going on dates.”

Though as student athletes they were often short on free time and watching their wallets, they made their own moments when they could. “There was a lot of Chili’s 3 for $10 or going for drive-through dates,” Trifunovic says. They loved going on walks together on the Lewis campus and along the riverwalk in downtown Naperville. “It really solidified our relationship because we didn’t need anything fancy to be in love with each other,” he says. “We enjoy each others’ presence, and that’s all we needed.”

They dated throughout college, with Trifunovic returning home to Serbia every summer. “With the nine-hour time difference, it was definitely a challenge,” Davis says. “But our communication is very good now because of that.” After graduating with their bachelor degrees and MBAs, they’d often return to Lewis on the weekends to play tennis on the campus courts—and that’s exactly where Trifunovic surprised Davis with a proposal last summer.

A close college friend officiated their March ceremony at The Bridge in Lemont. Trifunovic was overwhelmed with emotion as he saw his family from Serbia in the audience and watched Davis walk toward him. “When she came down the aisle, I was crying like a baby,” he says. Davis adds, “We spent so much time waiting for this moment, and then to have all of us the same room—when his family is across the world 99 percent of the year—was really special.”

American and Serbian flags around the venue set the tone for their cross-cultural celebration. “Pedja’s brother and parents don’t know English, and my family doesn’t know Serbian, so throughout the day it was really funny and cool to see them trying to connect through actions, or Google Translate-ing small words,” Davis says.

“After all the speeches were done, Sophia and I stood up quickly, and we said thanks to our moms,” Trifunovic says. “They’re the ones that took us to all of these tennis practices growing up.” Instead of tossing her bouquet, Davis put hers on display and had two smaller bouquets made to give each of their moms. “At the end of the day if we didn’t play tennis, we would have never met,” Davis says.

They now live in Naperville, where Trifunovic works for North Central College; Davis works for a marketing agency in Burr Ridge. They still make time to play tennis together at least twice a week and have big plans for travel in the future, including a trip to Serbia in February to meet Trifunovic’s extended family and a honeymoon in Greece in fall 2026. Trifunovic’s parents own a banquet hall in Serbia, so they plan to host a wedding celebration there as well. “We wanted all of my family in Serbia who couldn’t make the trip here to know they would have their moment to shine,” Trifunovic says.

Wedding Details

Venue
The Bridge, Lemont

Bride’s attire and accessories
Gown by Anthropologie; shoes by Badgley Mischka; pearl earrings and necklaces from Zlatarna Celje

Bride’s hair and makeup
Crystal Baldazo of Salon Lofts, Orland Park

Groom’s attire
Formally Modern Tuxedo

Rings
LaBelle Jewelers, Orland Park

Floral
Aysel Cristian Floral Atelier, Chicago

Coordination and décor
Amy Reifenstuhl of Rustique Swan Event Design & Curated Decor, Naperville

Custom signs
Created by Ticha, @createdby.ticha

Catering
My Chef Catering, Naperville

Cake
Astoria Cafe & Bakery

Entertainment
Signature Entertainment, Chicago

Photographer
Being Joy Photography, Carol Stream

Videography
Schofield Films, Chicago

Photos: Being Joy Photography