Is Leafs captain Auston Matthews engaged? Vanessa Piunno spotted with diamond ring at U.S. Open

Toronto Maple Leafs superstar was spotted at U.S. Open tennis tournament with girlfriend who wore a diamond ring on her finger.

Published Sep 12, 2026  •  Last updated 3 minutes ago  •  3 minute read

Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews with girlfriend Vanessa Piunno at the U.S. Open. New York Post/X

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While Auston Matthews will set out on his quest to break the Maple Leafs’ Stanley Cup drought and earn a ring, it appears that his girlfriend, Vanessa Piunno, has already picked up some hardware of her own.

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The Leafs captain and Piunno were spotted out in New York City on Friday, heading to the U.S. Open to take in the men’s semifinal match between Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe.

In the short clip shared on social media by the New York Post, the couple are holding hands while walking around a parking lot area, while Piunno sports a rather large sparkler on her left ring finger.

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The couple were later spotted in the stands paying close attention to the match as Shelton defeated the veteran 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 to advance to the final, where he’ll face No. 1 seed Alexander Zverev on Sunday.

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Matthews and Piunno are quite reserved about commenting on their relationship and rarely have been photographed out and about together. Neither have commented publicly on a potential engagement.

However, Piunno may have dropped a hint at the couple taking things to the next level last week.

Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews with girlfriend Vanessa Piunno at the U.S. Open. New York Post/X

In an Instagram post captioned “And that’s that!!” with two sun emojis – likely referring to the end of summer – Piunno buried a photo of several boxes of rings in a display, including many engagement-style bands.

Who is Vanessa Piunno?

Matthews and Piunno appeared to go Instagram official during the Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina, Italy, earlier this year.

Piunno shared a picture of herself on Matthews’ arm during Team USA’s gold-medal celebrations.

The March 3 post showed Piunno with Matthews in the Olympic Village in a series of images from Italy as she enjoyed the Winter Olympics with the Leafs centre.

In an Instagram post, Vanessa Piunno poses with Maple Leafs centre Auston Matthews and his Olympic gold medal. Photo by Screenshot /Instagram/@vanessapiunno

“A month to remember forever,” she captioned the post alongside two hearts.

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Piunno’s Instagram bio states she is a Vancouver and Toronto-based skincare specialist who runs her own company, Piunno Beauty.

Piunno Beauty’s website notes she offers private one-on-one skincare training that is “personal, thoughtful and rooted in education.”

“I believe skin care should feel empowering, not intimidating and that learning works best when it’s tailored to you,” the website states.

What’s next for Auston Matthews?

Summer vacation is just about over for Matthews, with training camp opening next week after the team’s charity golf tournament on Monday at Rattlesnake Point.

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   Is Auston Matthews' new relationship with girlfriend Instagram official?

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   HAVE YOUR SAY: What do you think of Maple Leafs off-season changes ahead of training camp?

He spent time this off-season rehabbing his knee after suffering a torn MCL following a knee-on-knee collision with Anaheim Ducks captain Radko Gudas on March 12.

According to Shawn Robek, the sports chiropractor who helped Matthews with his rehab, the Leafs captain also worked on his back.

Robek recently revealed that he has been working with Matthews on some “biomechanical issues” this off-season “to make sure Auston can perform at his best.”

The chiropractor, who says he met Matthews four years ago through fellow NHLer Clayton Keller, said it has been an “absolute privilege” to work with the Leafs star.

“The level of commitment he puts into taking care of himself in the offseason is remarkable and unique. He is certainly a one-percenter,” Robek said of Matthews. “Working with someone who has that diligence to get better and perform at his best.”

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