Aryna Sabalenka Archives

Aryna Sabalenka shows off engagement ring during Indian Wells win

INDIAN WELLS: World number one Aryna Sabalenka made a sparkling appearance at the Indian Wells Open on Friday, not only cruising into the next round but also debuting her engagement ring during her second-round victory.

The Belarusian star defeated Japan’s Himeno Sakatsume 6-4, 6-2 in a commanding performance, but much of the attention also fell on the striking oval-cut diamond ring she wore during the match.

Sabalenka recently got engaged to her Brazilian fiance, Georgios Franguli, with the proposal taking place earlier this week.

The 27-year-old revealed after the match that she felt confident wearing the ring during competition and had taken precautions to ensure it was safe.

“I was pretty confident wearing this ring,” Sabalenka told reporters. “It feels super comfortable and shiny.”

She added that her team had carefully checked whether there was any risk of the diamond coming loose during play.

“We double-checked if there was a possibility to lose the diamond, and there was none,” she said with a smile. “I was pretty confident wearing it, hoping it might even distract my opponent.”

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Sabalenka, who has reached the final of the prestigious WTA 1000 event twice in the past three years, also shared details about the emotional moment when Franguli proposed.

According to the world number one, the proposal came as a complete surprise, although members of her team were aware of the plan beforehand.

“I saw Georgios, and I was crying half the time,” she said. “I thought I looked ugly and not prepared, and this is such a beautiful moment.”

Aryna Sabalenka joked that she even tried to control how the moment was captured on camera.

“I asked the videographer and photographer to make sure my face wasn’t in the pictures, just the ring or side views, because I didn’t want people to see how I looked,” she said. “But it was a beautiful moment.”

Franguli is the chief executive of global health-food brand OakBerry, and Sabalenka lightheartedly reflected on what they have learned about each other since they began dating in 2024.

“What have I learned about him? He likes OakBerry a lot,” she joked. “And what he has learned about me? That I’m crazy.”

READ: Aryna Sabalenka opens Indian Wells bid with dominant win

Aryna Sabalenka opens Indian Wells bid with dominant win

World number one Aryna Sabalenka launched her bid for an elusive first Indian Wells title with a dominant 6-4, 6-2 second-round victory over Japanese qualifier Himeno Sakatsume on Friday.

Sabalenka and men’s world number two Jannik Sinner headlined the day’s play as seeded players swung into action after enjoying first-round byes.

Sabalenka, playing her first tournament since a runner-up finish to Elena Rybakina at the Australian Open, showed no sign of rust as she overpowered 136th-ranked Sakatsume, who was playing her first career match against a top-20 player.

“I’m really happy with the way I was serving, with the way I was putting her on the back foot,” said Sabalenka, who has twice reached the Indian Wells final but lost to Rybakina in 2023 and to Mirra Andreeva last year.

A nervous Sakatsume dropped her serve in the opening game but steadied after saving four break points to hold in the fifth.

Even so, she had no real answer to the Belarusian’s power and the lone break was enough for Sabalenka to seize the opening set.

After Sakatsume held serve to open the second, Sabalenka won five straight games, closing out the match after 72 minutes without facing a break point.

“I haven’t played for a while after the Australian Open, and happy with the performance today,” said Sabalenka, who was cheered on by Brazilian fiance Georgios Frangulis.

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She said the ring he surprised her with was “very comfy,” although she’d taken care to ascertain there was no danger of losing the impressive diamond solitaire during the rigours of a match.

“I was pretty confident wearing this ring,” she said. “It feels comfy, it feels shiny.

“I hope that my opponent will get distracted with this diamond and it’s going to benefit me,” she added with a laugh.

Men’s fourth-seed Alexander Zverev also sailed into the third round, beating Italian Matteo Berrettini 6-3, 6-4 without facing a break point.

It was an encouraging start for the German, who fell in his opening match last year and has never made it past the quarter-finals in the California desert.

“I have struggled in Indian Wells before, but I feel different this year,” he said.

Hungarian veteran Marton Fucsovics pulled the first big upset of the week, ousting fifth-seeded Italian Lorenzo Musetti 7-5, 6-1.

It was another disappointing setback for Musetti, who was playing his first tournament since he retired with a right leg injury while leading 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic by two sets in the Australian Open quarter-finals.

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Aryna Sabalenka ‘really upset’ at blowing chances in Melbourne final loss

Aryna Sabalenka said she was “really upset” with herself for failing to take her chances in defeat to Elena Rybakina in the Australian Open final, having led 3-0 in the deciding set.

The Belarusian world number one crashed 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 to the fifth-seeded Kazakh on Rod Laver Arena.

“I was really upset with myself, I would say, because once again I had opportunities,” she said.

“I played great until a certain point, and then I couldn’t resist that aggression that she had on court today.

“But I think overall I played great tennis here in Australia. Even in this final, I feel like I played great. I was fighting. I did my best, and today she was a better player.”

Sabalenka, the 2023 and 2024 Melbourne champion, has now won four and lost four of the eight Grand Slam finals she has contested.

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That includes losing her last two in Australia after being upset in 2025 by Madison Keys.

Despite this she was optimistic that she was moving in the right direction and confident for the season ahead.

“Today you’re a loser, tomorrow you’re a winner. Hopefully I’ll be more of a winner this season than a loser,” she said.

Asked if she had any regrets on how she played against Rybakina, she felt she could have been more aggressive, but was also effusive in her praise of her Moscow-born opponent.

As to the future, a philosophical Sabalenka said her goals had not changed.

“Keep fighting, keep working hard, keep putting myself out there, and try my best if I have another chance in the final. Just go out there and do my best,” she said.

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Rybakina keeps her cool to beat Sabalenka in tense Melbourne final

Elena Rybakina stifled her emotions to take revenge on world number one Aryna Sabalenka and win the Australian Open on Saturday for her second Grand Slam title.

The big-serving Kazakh fifth seed held her nerve to pull through 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne in 2hrs 18mins.

It was payback after the Belarusian Sabalenka won the 2023 final between two of the hardest hitters in women’s tennis.

Rybakina, 26, who was born in Moscow, adds her Melbourne triumph to her Wimbledon win in 2022.

Rybakina has a reputation for being unflappable, but she said she was nervous about losing the second set, even though she did not show it, and again as she served for the match.

She sealed the championship with her sixth ace of the final.

“Well, the heart definitely was beating too fast, even if maybe my face did not show it,” she told local broadcasters. Inside was a lot of emotions.”

There was more disappointment in a major final for Sabalenka, who won the US Open last year for the second time but lost the French Open and Melbourne title deciders.

She was into her fourth Australian Open final in a row and had been imperious until now.

The 27-year-old top seed had tears in her eyes at the end and draped a towel over her head to hide her feelings.

“Let’s hope maybe next year will be a better year for me,” Sabalenka said ruefully. “She played an incredible match, and I tried my very best. I was fighting until the very last point.”

With the roof on because of drizzle in Melbourne, Rybakina immediately broke serve and then comfortably held for 2-0.

Rybakina faced two break points at 4-3, but found her range with her serve to send down an ace and dig herself out of trouble, leaving Sabalenka visibly frustrated.

Rybakina looked in the zone and wrapped up the set in 37 minutes on her first set point when Sabalenka fired long.

Incredibly, it was the first set Sabalenka had dropped in 2026.

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The second game of the second set was tense, Rybakina saving three break points in a 10-minute arm-wrestle.

They went with serve, and the seventh game was another tussle, Sabalenka holding for 4-3 after the best rally of a cagey affair.

The tension ratcheted up, and the top seed quickly forged three set points at 5-4 on the Kazakh’s serve, ruthlessly levelling the match at the first chance to force a deciding set.

Sabalenka was now in the ascendancy and smacked a scorching backhand to break for a 2-0 lead, then holding for 3-0.

Rybakina, who also had not dropped a set in reaching the final, looked unusually rattled.

She reset to hold, then wrestled back the break, allowing herself the merest of smiles.

At 3-3, the title threatened to swing either way.

But a surging Rybakina won a fourth game in a row to break for 4-3, then held to put a thrilling victory within sight.

Sabalenka came into the final as the favourite, but Rybakina has been one of the form players on the women’s tour in recent months.

She also defeated Sabalenka in the decider at the season-ending WTA Finals.

Rybakina said her overriding emotions were relief, but also hope that she can carry her scintillating form into the rest of the season.

“It gives a lot of confidence for sure,” she said. “Last year, I didn’t start that well… now it’s different. So I just hope that I can carry all this momentum and hopefully do a good job with the team and continue this way throughout the year.”

Rybakina beat second seed Iga Swiatek in the quarter-finals and sixth seed Jessica Pegula in the last four in Melbourne.

Rybakina switched to play under the Kazakh flag in 2018 when she was a little-known 19-year-old, citing financial reasons.

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No handshake as Sabalenka sets up repeat of 2023 Melbourne final

Belarusian world number one Aryna Sabalenka crushed Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina in a politically charged Australian Open semi-final on Thursday and faces Elena Rybakina for a third Melbourne title.

There was no handshake after Sabalenka dismantled Svitolina 6-2, 6-3, before Kazakhstan’s Rybakina was also a straight-sets winner, over Jessica Pegula of the United States.

The ruthless Sabalenka will take some stopping as she pursues a third Melbourne crown in four years.

She is on an 11-match win streak this year, having come into the first major of 2026 on the back of claiming the title in Brisbane.

The hard-hitting 27-year-old is into her fourth Australian Open final in a row and yet to drop a set all year.

Sabalenka and Moscow-born fifth seed Rybakina have met 14 times, with the Belarusian winning eight of them.

That includes the Melbourne final in 2023, when Sabalenka fought back to win in three sets.

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Ahead of her semi-final clash with 12th seed Svitolina, an announcement was made at Rod Laver Arena that there would be no handshake afterwards, asking fans to “respect” that.

Like other players from Ukraine, Svitolina does not shake hands with opponents from Russia or Moscow’s ally Belarus because of the war.

Sabalenka and Svitolina also noticeably kept apart for the pre-match formalities and photos.

After a dominant victory, Sabalenka was close to tears as she reflected on the “dream” life she leads.

She had warm words for Svitolina, saying: “I’m super happy with the win, she’s a really tough opponent, she was playing really incredible tennis throughout the whole week.”

There was controversy at the start of the fourth game.

With the match on serve, Sabalenka was hit with a hindrance call from the umpire for grunting, triggering a long video review and boos.

A clearly irritated Sabalenka lost the point but recovered her poise and a break of serve early in the second set to surge home.

A reflective Svitolina said the plight of her homeland put the defeat into perspective.

“People are really living horrible and terrifying lives in Ukraine, so I should not be allowed to really be sad because I’m a very, very lucky person,” the 31-year-old said.

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Aryna Sabalenka into third straight Brisbane final ahead of Australian Open

Aryna Sabalenka beat Karolina Muchova in straight sets to reach her third Brisbane International final in a row on Saturday, a week ahead of the Australian Open.

Sabalenka looked in great touch against the tricky Czech, who had won their last three meetings and went into the match as one of the few players with a winning record over the world number one.

But Sabalenka showed her class and power as she broke Muchova once in each set to take the semi-final 6-3, 6-4 in 89 minutes.

“I struggled against her a couple of times (in the past),” Sabalenka said.

“I’m happy that today I was focused from the beginning and I was able to show such great tennis and put her under so much pressure and get the win in straight sets. That’s just super great.”

The 27-year-old Belarusian said she could feel her level getting better with every match in Brisbane, where she is yet to drop a set.

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She said that with seven of the world’s top 10 having entered, it was ideal preparation for the Australian Open, which begins in Melbourne on January 18.

Aryna Sabalenka is aiming to win a third Australian Open in four years.

“I definitely feel that compared to the first match here, I’m playing better and better,” she said.

“That’s really important heading to Melbourne, to build that level, and to play some great matches against great opponents.

“So I’m super happy with the performance so far and cannot wait to play my final match here.”

Sabalenka, the defending champion, will play either fourth seed Jessica Pegula or Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk in Sunday’s final.

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Relentless Sabalenka marches into Wuhan semi-finals

Aryna Sabalenka powered into her 11th semi-final of the year and a clash with Jessica Pegula after a 6-3, 6-3 win over Elena Rybakina at the Wuhan Open on Friday.

The world number one remains unbeaten in four tournament appearances at the event and will take a 20-0 record into her showdown with Pegula on Saturday.

American third seed Coco Gauff was also victorious, 6-3, 6-0 against Laura Siegemund to reach the last four in Wuhan for a second straight year.

Defending champion Sabalenka improved to 8-5 head-to-head against Kazakhstan’s Rybakina, whose bid for a WTA Finals berth has taken a hit.

“Elena is a great player, very nice girl and always tough to play against,” said Sabalenka, the US Open champion.

“We have a really huge history against each other, always great battles. She always pushes me to the limit to get the win.

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“I’m super happy with the performance today.”

A rock-solid Sabalenka claimed a timely break of serve in game eight on her way to forging a one-set lead in 43 minutes in temperatures above 30C.

Continuing to showcase some impressive all-court prowess, Sabalenka broke twice in the second frame to build a 4-1 advantage.

Rybakina, the eighth seed, narrowed the deficit by getting one of the breaks back but couldn’t stop Sabalenka from marching into the final four and extending her winning streak to 10 matches.

Sixth-seeded Pegula recorded her 50th win of the season with a 2-6, 6-0, 6-3 victory over Katerina Siniakova to reach a third consecutive semi-final, following Beijing and the US Open.

Pegula’s last seven matches were all three-setters, contested within a 16-day period, and the American was successful in six of them.

“I guess I’m in really good shape,” said the 31-year-old.

“I definitely don’t think I need to play any more matches or work on any physical stuff because I’ve been able to battle through these matches and play very well.”

She added: “Obviously I wish maybe it was more straightforward for my mental and physical state.

“But if I win every match for the rest of my life in three sets I think I’ll be pretty happy.”

Pegula’s left thigh was taped during her quarter-final but she told reporters it was just a precautionary measure and she felt “just a niggle” from playing too many long matches.

Unlike Pegula, Gauff has been breezing through her matches, and has dropped a mere nine games across three rounds so far in Wuhan.

The 21-year-old from Florida converted five of eight break points against Siegemund and completed the victory in 85 minutes.

“I think I had chances in the first set to even have a greater lead, so I think I just capitalised more on those chances in the second set,” said Gauff, who awaits Iga Swiatek or Jasmine Paolini in the final four.

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Amanda Anisimova to play Aryna Sabalenka in US Open final

Amanda Anisimova beat Naomi Osaka in three sets on Thursday to set up a US Open final against reigning champion Aryna Sabalenka.

Eighth seed Anisimova won 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/3), 6-3 as the American reached her second successive Grand Slam final after finishing runner-up at Wimbledon in July.

Meanwhile, Sabalenka overcame Pegula 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in a re-run of last year’s final and is seeking to become the first player to successfully defend the title in New York since Serena Williams in 2014.

The 27-year-old from Belarus is through to her third successive US Open final.

“It was a really tough match — she (Pegula) played incredible tennis as always, and I had to work really hard to get this win,” said Sabalenka.

“Just super happy to be back in the final and hopefully I can go all the way again.”

Sabalenka has now made the final at four of the last five Grand Slams but has not added to her haul of three majors since winning the 2024 US Open.

She finished runner-up at the Australian Open and Roland Garros earlier this year.

She landed the first blow in the sixth game against Pegula, who saved a pair of break points before the Belarusian’s persistence paid off as she surged into a 4-2 lead.

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A sloppy service game from Sabalenka allowed Pegula to respond immediately. The American then held the level at 4-4 and put the pressure right back on the top seed.

An error from Sabalenka gave Pegula another break for a 5-4 advantage and she served out to love to take the first set, to the delight of the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd.

Sabalenka reset, though, and roared back to reel off the first three games of the second set, an early break the difference as she sent the match to a deciding set.

A break to open the third set saw Sabalenka edge 2-0 ahead. She scrambled to save three break points and stay in control at 4-2 in and fought off another in the eighth game to close in on victory.

Pegula held and forced Sabalenka to get over the line on her own serve. She eventually converted a third match point with a crunching forehand winner to her palpable relief.

Aryna Sabalenka will try to avenge her Wimbledon semi-final loss to Amanda Anisimova on Saturday.

The eighth-seeded Anisimova reached her second major final in a row after rallying to overcome Osaka 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/3), 6-3 in a match that stretched well past midnight in New York.

“I wasn’t sure I would make it past the finish line. I tried to dig deep. It was a huge fight out there,” said Anisimova.

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“It means the world. I’m trying to process that right now; it’s a dream come true. The hope is to be the champion, but I’m in the final now and I’m excited.”

Osaka, seeded 23rd, was enjoying her best Grand Slam run since winning her second Australian Open title in 2021 – the last of her four major crowns.

She looked on course to go a step further after taking the first set in a tie-break, boasting a 26-1 record at this level when doing so.

Four breaks in six games to begin the second set betrayed the nerves on both sides.

Anisimova broke for the third time to go 5-4 up, but as in the previous two instances, she then lost her own serve, double-faulting to keep Osaka in the set.

In a reversal of the first tie-break, Anisimova took charge of the second to level the contest.

Anisimova carried that momentum into the decider and broke for a 3-1 cushion as she continued to punish Osaka’s ineffective second serve.

Two comfortable service games moved Anisimova 5-2 clear. Osaka held before the American earned two match points in a dramatic final game.

Osaka saved both and carved out two break points only for Anisimova to cut short the comeback and secure victory at the third attempt.

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Aryna Sabalenka extends tie-break streak in win over Leylah Fernandez

World number one Aryna Sabalenka advanced to the fourth round of the US Open on Friday after extending her remarkable streak of tie-break victories to defeat Canada’s Leylah Fernandez.

Reigning champion Sabalenka punched her ticket to the last 16 after seeing off Fernandez 6-3, 7-6 (7/2) in one hour and 39 minutes on the Louis Armstrong Stadium.

Sabalenka’s decisive second-set victory was capped by her 18th consecutive tie-break win.

The victory was also sweet revenge for Sabalenka, who suffered an upset defeat to then-teenager Fernandez in the semi-finals of the 2021 US Open.

“I wanted this revenge badly,” Sabalenka said afterwards. “It was a tough lesson for me back then. Since then, we never played again.

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“I just wanted to prove to myself that the lesson was learned and that I developed as a player, and I could get this win.”

Sabalenka attributes her dominance of tie-breaks this season to a tougher mental approach.

“I definitely think that mentally I’m pretty strong, and I’m still growing, because I’m learning a lot of lessons, and all of those lessons are making me tougher, tougher, and tougher,” she said.

Asked if she believed her opponents were aware of her tie-break record, she replied: “I hope so. I’m not focusing on that during the match, obviously. But extra pressure on my opponents? I love that.”

The skilful Fernandez, the 31st seed, had started brightly, earning four break points on Sabalenka’s opening service game of the first set.

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Crucially, though, Aryna Sabalenka saved them all before holding, and then took advantage in the fourth game when Fernandez double-faulted to hand the Belarusian a break for a 3-1 lead.

That break was all Sabalenka needed to close out the set.

A tense second set saw Fernandez continue to cause problems for Sabalenka, who again was forced to fight off a break point in the sixth game.

But when the set went to a decisive tie-break, there only ever looked like being one winner, with Sabalenka scoring three mini-breaks in rapid succession to help open up a 4-1 lead.

That soon became 6-1, and Sabalenka sealed a win that sees her into a fourth-round showdown with unseeded Spaniard Cristina Bucsa.

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Aryna Sabalenka eyes Leylah Fernandez revenge in US Open third round

Defending US Open champion Aryna Sabalenka says she is “a better player and person” than the one who lost to Leylah Fernandez four years ago as they prepare for a re-run of their 2021 semi-final.

Sabalenka overcame a spirited challenge from unseeded Russian Polina Kudermetova to advance to the third round in New York on Wednesday.

World number one Sabalenka edged a tense first set in the Arthur Ashe night session before putting away Kudermetova 7-6 (7/4), 6-2.

The win sent Sabalenka through to a first meeting with Canadian 31st seed Fernandez since their semi-final clash at Flushing Meadows four years ago.

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Leylah Fernandez won that showdown before losing the final to Emma Raducanu, but Sabalenka is reluctant to dwell on the past.

“I think I’d better not remember anything from that match, because I think I changed a lot,” said Aryna Sabalenka.

“I had really tough challenges after that, and I went through. I found myself. I have become a better player and a person.

“So I think it’s going to be a completely different match. I’d better just not try to remember that match.

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“But, of course, I do remember a couple of things, and I love rematches. So I’m actually super excited about facing her here again.”

Sabalenka is on a quest to make history by becoming the first woman to successfully defend her US Open title since the legendary Serena Williams accomplished the feat in 2014.

“I have to focus on myself. I know that if I’m able to bring my game and fight for every point, I’ll have my chances. I try to bring the best fight possible every time,” said Aryna Sabalenka.

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