Sunshine Double, WTA Finals, Tiger: Everything you always wanted to know about Aryna Sabalenka (but never had time to find out) – updated ahead of the 2026 WTA Finals
Aryna Sabalenka, four-time Grand Slam champion and world No. 1 for 99 weeks until September 2026, chases a first WTA Finals title in Indian Wells after a season with the Sunshine Double and two Grand Slam finals lost to Elena Rybakina. Here are the answers to the questions most often asked about the Belarusian.
Antoine Couvercelle / Panoramic
Who is Aryna Sabalenka?
Aryna Sabalenka is a Belarusian tennis player, born on May 5, 1998, in Minsk. She has won four Grand Slam titles, the Australian Open in 2023 and 2024 and the US Open in 2024 and 2025, and was world No. 1 for 99 consecutive weeks until September 2026.
The second seed at the 2026 WTA Finals in Indian Wells, she is chasing a first title at the event and opens against Karolina Muchova. Before the tournament, she said she had resumed working with a psychologist: “I really needed someone to help me find myself again.”
How has Aryna Sabalenka’s 2026 season gone?
It started with 23 wins in 24 matches. She retained her Brisbane title, beating Marta Kostyuk in the final, and reached her fourth straight Australian Open final, where Elena Rybakina came back from 0-3 down in the final set to win 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.
She then won the Sunshine Double. In Indian Wells, she beat Rybakina 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (6) for her 10th WTA 1000 title, and in Miami she beat Coco Gauff 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 to become the fifth woman to win both in the same season.
The rest of the season was harder. Hailey Baptiste saved six match points to beat her in Madrid, Sorana Cirstea beat her in Rome, and Naomi Osaka beat her 6-2, 7-6 (1) in the Wimbledon round of 16.
Given Sabalenka’s dominance, it’s no surprise she remains one of the most-backed players on the top 20 UK betting sites.
What happened to Aryna Sabalenka at Roland-Garros and the US Open in 2026?
At Roland-Garros, Diana Shnaider beat her 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 in the quarter-finals, winning the last 10 games after Sabalenka had served for the match. “I got into a very deep, dark hole,” she said afterwards.
At the US Open, she beat Linda Noskova 7-6 (1), 3-6, 7-6 (7) and Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2 to reach an eighth consecutive Grand Slam final on hard courts, an Open Era record. Rybakina beat her 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 in the final and took her No. 1 ranking.
How many Grand Slam titles has Aryna Sabalenka won?
Four. She won the 2023 Australian Open, beating Rybakina 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, and retained it in 2024 against Zheng Qinwen, 6-3, 6-2. She won the 2024 US Open, beating Pegula 7-5, 7-5, and retained it in 2025 against Amanda Anisimova.
She has lost five other Grand Slam finals: the 2023 US Open to Gauff, the 2025 Australian Open to Madison Keys, the 2025 Roland-Garros final to Gauff, 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4, and the 2026 Australian Open and US Open finals to Rybakina.
How many titles has Aryna Sabalenka won?
24 singles titles, including 10 at WTA 1000 level: Wuhan three times (2018, 2019, 2024), Madrid three times (2021, 2023, 2025), Cincinnati in 2024, Miami in 2025 and 2026, and Indian Wells in 2026. She has never won the WTA Finals.
She was also world No. 1 in doubles in 2021, mostly with Elise Mertens, with whom she won the 2019 US Open and 2021 Australian Open doubles titles.
When was Aryna Sabalenka world No. 1?
She first reached No. 1 in September 2023, for eight weeks, then returned to the top on October 21, 2024. She finished 2024 and 2025 as year-end No. 1 and stayed there for 99 consecutive weeks, until Rybakina overtook her after the 2026 US Open.
She is now No. 2, with Mirra Andreeva 179 points behind her before the WTA Finals. Her current ranking is on her WTA profile.
What does Aryna Sabalenka say about the calendar and prize money?
She is among the most outspoken players on both issues. In May 2026, in the dispute over the Grand Slams’ share of revenue, she said: “At some point we will boycott.”
At the US Open, she asked the WTA and ATP to scrap mandatory tournaments, warning that players would otherwise skip them: “We’ll have to sacrifice points, ranking position, whatever.”
Did Aryna Sabalenka play a Battle of the Sexes?
Yes. In December 2025 in Dubai, she played Nick Kyrgios in a modern Battle of the Sexes under modified rules, and the Australian won 6-3, 6-3.
Who is Aryna Sabalenka’s coach?
Anton Dubrov, her former hitting partner. She previously worked with Dmitry Tursunov and Sascha Bajin.
Who is Aryna Sabalenka’s boyfriend?
She made her relationship with Brazilian businessman Georgios Frangulis, owner of the Oakberry brand, public in May 2024. Her former partner, ex-NHL player Konstantin Koltsov, died in March 2024; they had separated before his death.
Her father Sergey, a former ice hockey player, died of meningitis at 43. She spoke about him in the Netflix series Break Point.
What is Aryna Sabalenka’s stance on the war in Ukraine?
She has said she is against the war and, at Wimbledon in 2023, distanced herself from the Belarusian government. She has also spoken of feeling hostility on the tour because of her nationality. Ukrainian players such as Kostyuk do not shake her hand.
Why does Aryna Sabalenka have tiger tattoos?
The tiger is her emblem. She has two tiger tattoos, on her inner left forearm and her upper left thigh, and is nicknamed “the Tiger” as well as the “Warrior Princess”.
Her best friend on the tour is Spain’s Paula Badosa. She likes pancakes, dogs and reading, and her favourite book is The Count of Monte Cristo. She is on Instagram as arynasabalenka.
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