"The most impressive thing to me was how he did pick himself up" - Throwback to when Jennifer Lopez took pride in his ex-fiance Alex Rodriguez's remarkable comeback following his 2014 MLB suspension

Alex Rodriguez’s career came to a halt due to his steroid scandal in 2003, which sent shockwaves through Major League Baseball for years to come.

Alex Rodriguez was caught using performance-enhancing drugs while playing for the Texas Rangers during a three-year period beginning in 2001. He came out clean during a press conference in early February 2009. The going was tough from there on for the next five years. Alex was suspended for 211 regular-season games from August 8, 2013, until the end of the 2014 season for violations of the MLB’s PED policy.

After serving a lengthy spell on the sidelines, Alex Rodriguez returned to the fold with the New York Yankees in 2015. While many still couldn’t believe what had happened, a majority of his fans were very happy to see him back.

Lopez, too, was both proud and incredibly ecstatic to see her then-boyfriend back on the field, doing what he loves.

Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez attend the 89th MLB All-Star Game, presented by Mastercard at Nationals Park on July 17, 2018 in Washington, DC.

“The most impressive thing to me was how he did pick himself up and take that opportunity to make himself a better person,” she revealed to Vanity Fair in December 2017. “The hardest times prove who you are. That’s what I love and admire the most about Alex. He doesn’t let anything beat him. He just comes back stronger.”

When Alex Rodriguez was asked how he plowed through this tough phase and came back out stronger, he had this to say:

“The work I did was one of the most painful and most rewarding experiences of my life, and it continues to this day. I tell myself, ‘I’m rounding first base and going to second base. It’s a process.”

The current status of Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez's relationship

The couple issued a joint statement on April 15, 2021, sharing exclusively that they had decided to call it time on their marriage.

"We have realized we are better as friends and look forward to remaining so," they shared. "We will continue to work together and support each other on our shared businesses and projects. We wish the best for each other and one another's children. Out of respect for them, the only other comment we have is to say is thank you to everyone who has sent kind words and support," the statement read.

The official word came after a month of speculation. The couple initially denied the breakup rumors, telling people that they were working on things. Lopez even took to TikTok in which she referred to the rumors as “dumb.”

"Jennifer Lopez & Ben Affleck are officially married!!❤️💍 The two tied the knot in Las Vegas" - theweddingbliss, Instagram

A-Rod and JLo have since moved on, yet they continue to be good friends. The former is currently single, although he was last linked to Kathryne Padgett. The latter is married to two-time Academy Award winner, Ben Affleck. The couple got married in Vegas in July of this year.