How MAFS’ Troy went from tennis prodigy to reality star

Married At First Sight star Troy Delmege has copped a swathe of criticism ever since footage of his aggressive tooth-brushing habit was aired on the show.

The IT manager drew further disdain after claiming he wanted a ‘Barbie’ bride with a ‘big chest,’ later appearing on the Today show to insist he was taken out of context. 

Troy’s former class mates also defended the ‘very nice guy ‘ on social media, who they ‘picked on relentlessly in school’ asking viewers to ‘give him a chance!’

And for the most part, the 35-year-old does not appear to carry much of a bad boy reputation.

Around the time he graduated from Sydney’s St Ives High School in 1999, Troy was heralded as somewhat of a tennis prodigy. 

‘I was ranked top 20 in Australia as a kid in the under 14 years of age group, and then also in the under 16 years of age group,’ he told Daily Mail Australia. 

Upon graduation, Troy was awarded a scholarship from Marquette College in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 2000.

His future was certainly bright, but after devoting everything to the Marquette Golden Eagles Tennis team, he returned home four years later, with an MBA and zero desire to compete professionally. 

‘I had a full scholarship and represented Marquette University for four years in division one NCAA competition 2001-2005, for both singles and doubles,’ he explained.

When asked about whether he ever wanted to try his luck as a pro, Troy said: ‘Before going to college I considered going pro, but not really afterwards. 

‘I was actually burnt out with it after my college career and needed time away from the sport to be honest. College tennis can be quite full on.’

Drama surrounded his senior year, with college newspaper The Marquette Wire reporting Troy was replaced for his last ever game, with his coaches refusing to comment.

‘I hosted a party in my apartment with the whole tennis team, and got falsely accused of writing a crude sign on a wall, which was noticed by public safety officers,’ he explained.

‘I was not given any due process or chance to defend myself. It’s a bit of a sore point because I felt I had contributed so much over four years that I deserved better. 

‘I was pretty angry and upset for a while.’

After that, he shifted his focus away from the game, working a corporate job overseas for a year, before returning to Marquette to complete an MBA degree.

While he couldn’t comment on whether his dedication to tennis hampered his ability to find love, he did offer: ‘Tennis and class work were extremely time consuming.’

Troy expanded more on how he found himself 35-and-single, and what his goals for the show were in his MAFS’ introductory video.

‘I don’t know, this whole thing is starting to look like destiny falling into place,’ he said of his decision to appear on the dating show.

 ‘Hopefully this does cut out all the noise and just narrows it down to the one.’

During his reality TV debut on Sunday, Troy was seen brushing his teeth aggressively, prompting viewers to react in horror on social media.

 Possibly nervous about his impending nuptials, toothpaste was seen dribbling down Troy’s chin as he kept frantically brushing his pearly whites. 

 ‘Troy brushing his teeth actually makes me want to vomit’, one fan wrote on Twitter, responding to the bizarre moment the groom freshened up ahead of his wedding. 

He also copped criticism for video that saw him chowing down on an entire can of tuna before walking down the aisle.