Sam Konstas announced himself as the country’s brightest young cricket star in emphatic fashion against India this summer, but fans who are hoping he has struck up a relationship with the daughter of Aussie legend Matt Hayden are way off the mark.
Grace Hayden, the glamourous daughter of the former Australian opener, set tongues wagging after an image of her with Konstas was posted to Instagram on the weekend.
The couple were snapped at The Star Championships Day 1, a $12.9million raceday at Royal Randwick featuring four Group 1 events including the ATC Australian Derby, Star Doncaster Mile, Asahi Super Dry T J Smith Stakes and Inglis Sires.
Dressed to the nines, Konstas had his arm draped around Grace’s neck and was pointing to a polaroid photo the couple had recently taken together.
‘@samkonstas5 x @grace.hayden_,’ Grace captioned the image.
And that led many cricket fans to jump the gun and incorrectly assume they are a couple.
Sam Konstas was pictured with Grace Hayden at The Star Championships at Royal Randwick, setting tongues wagging
Grace is the daughter of Australian legend Matt Hayden (pictured together), the big-hitting Queensland opening batter
Grace was also pictured at the races with her boyfriend Wilson Statham, who she has been with since April last year
‘Wow, what a lady you have,’ one posted.
‘What a great couple,’ added another.
However, Grace already has a partner – and it is not Sam Konstas.
The 22-year-old recently delivered a loved-up display with her new cotton heir boyfriend Wilson Statham at The Everest race day in Sydney last October.
Grace and Wilson made their relationship public in April last year during a day out at the Randwick races. They were also pictured together at The Star Championships.
Wilson comes from a prominent agricultural family. His parents, Danielle and David, run Sundown Pastoral Company – a privately owned, family-operated business specialising in cotton and cropping.
Their farming operations stretch across more than 70,000 hectares throughout Queensland and northern New South Wales.
Grace is also carving out her own path in the sports media world, securing a major new role as a presenter.
Konstas holds the Border Gavaskar Trophy, won by Australia in last summer’s series against India, during which he stamped himself as a star of the future
The young batsman made a name for himself by taking on Indian spearhead Jasprit Bumrah
At just 22, the rising television talent has been named the lead presenter for Racing X, a global digital platform based in Hong Kong.
Her new role will take her around the world, reporting from major sporting events in locations such as Saudi Arabia, New Zealand, and Las Vegas.
Although she’s the daughter of former cricket great and commentator Matthew Hayden, 53, Grace says she brings solid experience to the table and is ready to make her own mark.
Meanwhile Konstas has earned his first Cricket Australia contract, joining Matt Kuhnemann and Beau Webster as new additions for the 2025–26 season.
Despite his contract, Konstas is not guaranteed a place in the starting XI for the World Test Championship final, with selectors weighing multiple options for the top order.
Allrounder Cameron Green is expected to return from injury, potentially creating a squeeze in Australia’s top six.
Usman Khawaja, at 38, remains a key figure, with selectors focusing more on form than age.
Meanwhile, Cooper Connolly and Todd Murphy were notable omissions from the contract list, despite recent appearances for Australia.
