Aryna Sabalenka is chasing yet another major title at the Australian Open as she gets back to business after wowing fans with her holiday snaps during the off season
Aryna Sabalenka is a superstar on the court(Image: Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
The Australian Open begins on Sunday, with some of the world’s best tennis stars locking horns Down Under. As 2026 is welcomed in, so is the first major of the tennis calendar.
Jannik Sinner is defending the men’s singles title while Madison Keys is looking to retain her women’s crown. One of the favourites to go all the way is, naturally, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka. She prepared in the perfect manner with a stunning victory over Marta Kostyuk to secure her third Brisbane International title after facing Nick Kyrgios in a ‘Battle of the Sexes’ after Christmas.
The Belarusian is aiming for her third title in only four years at the Australian Open and is certainly on course to achieve that. Ahead of the competition, Daily Star Sport takes a closer look at Sabalenka.
Aryna Sabalenka and Paula Badosa are good friends(Image: arynasabalenka)
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Friendship with tennis rival
Sabalenka is very good friends with Paula Badosa, with the duo regularly posting selfies together on social media. In October, the pair soaked up the autumnal sun in Dubai.
They sported skimpy bikinis as they enjoyed some well-deserved downtime, and also enjoyed dinner at the Atlantis The Royal Hotel as well as Greek restaurant Milos. Sabalenka is well-acquainted with Greek culture, having a Greek-Brazilian boyfriend – Georgios Frangulis.
Badosa does, too, having previously dated Greek tennis star Stefanos Tsitsipas. The pair started dating in 2023 but reportedly split following Wimbledon last year. She has since declared herself “sexy and single” in a social media post.
Sabalenka and Badosa soak up the sun(Image: arynasabalenka)
Engagement tease
Sabalenka made an engagement joke to her boyfriend following her victory in Brisbane recently. Frangulis was sat in the crowd when she jokingly suggested he propose.
“Last but not least, thank you to my team for handling me,” she said. “I really am the toughest to handle and you are the toughest in the world because you can handle me. Thank you to my boyfriend… Hopefully soon I can call you something else. Let’s just put some extra pressure.”
Sabalenka soaks up the sun(Image: paulabadosa)
Frangulis is an entrepreneur who founded acai bowl company Oakberry, who have over 700 stores worldwide. He is said to have a net worth of over $75million (£55m) and the pair have been dating since 2024.
Tiger vs model
Sabalenka is a fearsome predator on the court and serves at a jaw-dropping 120mph. Despite her aggressive playing style and dominant sporting aura, she is very different on social media.
On her Instagram profile, Sabalenka fits the bill of a model or influencer instead of a top tennis star.
Sabalenka is very active on social media(Image: arynasabalenka)
As well as bikini snaps, her feed includes a look into the luxurious lifestyle of a celebrity with fancy holidays and top-end brand deals, with the likes of Audemars Piguet – the pinnacle of expensive watches.
To contrast, on-court, Sabalenka is sometimes referred to as ‘The Tiger’, due to her tattoo of the predator on her left forearm. It’s also reflective of the way she plays.
Explaining the reason for the tattoo, she told the Daily Mail that she was born in the year of the tiger and on court, she has to fight like one.
She went on to say that in difficult times she looks at the tattoo and reminds herself that giving up isn’t an option, she must fight.
