For years Madonna proved unflappable in the face of controversy, but yesterday the stress of her latest - and most difficult - personal drama was written all across her face.

The pop star emerged from her New York apartment looking tired and despondent in a sign the pressure of the past month is beginning to take its toll.

Her husband Guy Ritchie was seen leaving the Central Park West residence separately, accompanied by the couple's seven-year-old son Rocco.

Stressed: Madonna emerged from her New York apartment yesterday looking tired and despondent

The singer is being linked to the £50million marriage break-up of Alex Rodriguez, the world's most expensive baseball player. His wife Cynthia, 34, accuses him of having had a string of affairs.

But the 'final straw', according to her lawyers, was his association with Madonna  -  although they admit the relationship was not sexual.

The divorce papers, which were filed in Miami earlier this week, say the marriage was 'irretrievably broken down' because of Mr Rodriguez's 'extramarital affairs and other marital misconduct' although Madonna was not named.

Separate exits: Guy Ritchie and Madonna left the Central Park West residence at different times during the day

Reports claim that Rodriguez, 32  -  in the first season of a £139million, 10-year contract with the New York Yankees  -  made a series of visits to Madonna's New York flat, and that he converted to Kabbalah, the mystical Jewish movement followed by Madonna.

Mrs Rodriguez's lawyer Earle Lilly said: 'She (Cynthia) has tolerated a lot of misconduct, but this one was the straw ... the final straw. I mean, having her sit in his box at baseball games, and the Kabbalah meetings that have taken place ... it's like an open forum. It's just short of embarrassing if nothing else.'

Despite admitting the relationship was not sexual, the lawyer added: 'It's an affair of the heart.'

The comments are said to have infuriated the 49-year-old star, with a source telling The Sun: 'Madonna is outraged. She told his wife Cynthia's lawyers not to make any more statements about her - in short, shut up.'

Madonna recently issued a statement denying she and the baseball star were having an affair.

She said: 'I am not romantically involved in any way with Alex Rodriguez. I have nothing to do with the state of his marriage or what spiritual path he may choose to study.'

She has also vigorously denied she is planning to divorce Ritchie after seven years of marriage.