Tennis Matched: An Iranian Love Story

They’d like to be called Galan and Solmaz, after legendary Turkmen lovers in a Persian novel. As modern young couples often do, they married first quietly for themselves and then again later for their families with all the festive pomp of a traditional wedding.

When they first met in their small city in eastern Iran, nobody was thinking about weddings—except, it turned out, their tennis coach.

Galan was in his late 20s, and nothing really good had happened for him yet. He had thrown himself into studies, work, and hobbies with absolute focus, from an electrical engineering degree to mastery of English. (He and his brother made a game of who could best mimic American regional accents from online videos.) But then over a matter of conscience, he walked away from the career he’d studied so hard for. A successful portrait photography business followed but eventually burned him out with overwork. He was about to get certified to teach English, but the future was uncertain.

Love was even harder to find than the right career: casual dating is not done in Iran, yet he needed to spend time with a girl to make sure her mind could mesh with his unusually bright and quirky one. Also, to avoid giving his parents instant heart attacks, she would have to be of Turkmen ethnicity like his family. Did such a woman even exist?

Enter tennis, and the coach who deserves a gold medal in matchmaking.

Naturally, Galan tackled tennis lessons with the determination to become an expert. Before long, the coach was relying on him to help teach the beginners. Solmaz was one of a group of young college women who came for weekly lessons. She caught his eye, but he thought, “She’s out of my league.” Doubting she could be interested, he was friendly but respectfully distant. Yet their coach somehow kept arranging to put them together for doubles practice.

Finally, the coach gave up on subtlety. He took Galan aside and said: “She’s a nice girl. Don’t you want to get married?”

So Galan got a little braver, offering her rides home from practice. He learned she was a law student whose dad was a veterinarian. She was intelligent, kind, and open minded; she even shared his progressive politics. Having dealt with a few pushy and unsavory guys in the past, however, she was slow to trust. Taking things slow and living with the uncertainty was one of the hardest things Galan had ever had to do. Yet with patience, their minds and eventually their hearts meshed.

His first gift to her was a symbolic but low-key pair of tennis shoes. Later, once they'd realized they couldn't imagine living without each other, he picked out his-and-her necklaces with yin and yang halves.

Enter the families and a few stressful speed bumps on the road to their union. Solmaz’s parents still hoped she would marry their preferred suitor. (“Never gonna happen,” she declared.) Besides, her family fretted, who was this random tennis guy? At least he was Turkmen, but who was his family? Oh, wait, he’s that kid who aced her uncle’s high-school English class, and his mom is actually quite lovely. Well, all right.

In a choreographed wedding video shoot, their coach lobs a tennis ball into the frame.

So much has changed in two years. Galan and Solmaz have a beautiful apartment and a mischievous kitten named Blackie; they also have aching hearts and existential fears. With their country in violent upheaval and the threat of war looming, Valentine's Day is the last thing on their minds right now. In fact, they'd completely forgotten about it. Thousands of protesters died last month. Who cares about candy hearts and hothouse flowers?

But maybe at its heart, this day is still for them. Like the old tale of tragic lovers Galan and Solmaz, the Valentine's Day legend originally had more pathos than posies. One version says Saint Valentine was imprisoned for performing weddings of Christian soldiers who'd been forbidden to marry. Another has him writing a farewell letter to the jailer's daughter on the eve of his execution and signing it, "Your Valentine." Lovers in the spirit of Saint Valentine care for each other bravely in tumultuous times.

Here's hoping Galan and Solmaz find joy and small comforts tucked into the corners of each day. Please keep them in your hearts.

Facing all storms
Allow my heart to heal your wounds
—from Günlük, one of their favorite songs

Solmaz's World-Famous Walnut Cookies

Whatever struggles and sorrows your own life brings, a little sweetness can help.

Ingredients:

200 g / 7 oz. butter (at room temperature)
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup baking chocolate (heat-resistant)
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 tbs baking powder
4 cups of flour
Ice cream scoop

Baking Time:

Approximately 25 minutes

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 170°C / 350°F.
Beat the softened butter with the powdered sugar for 10 minutes until the mixture becomes light in color and fluffy.
Then add the egg and vanilla and mix well with a mixer.
Add the oil and mix just until combined.
Finally, gradually add in the sifted flour, baking powder, and cornstarch. Knead the dough.
Add the walnuts and baking chocolate and mix until evenly combined.
Using a small ice cream scoop, scoop portions of the dough and place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.