Aryna Sabalenka is resting and recharging with her family by her side as the US Open swing nears. The Belarusian star reunited with her mother, Yulia, and her sister Tonechka as she visited her hometown, Minsk, with her fiancé and her coaching team.
Sabalenka also opened up about the significance of reconnecting with her loved ones before resuming her tennis journey.
Aryna Sabalenka Shares Rare Pictures With Her Mother and Sister
Sabalenka has been out of action since her straight-sets defeat to Naomi Osaka in the fourth round of Wimbledon. Right after her loss, she confessed that she wanted to “get completely drunk and forget about tennis” amid her Grand Slam drought and the rising threat to her World No. 1 ranking.
Soon after, Sabalenka escaped to Greece with her fiancé, Georgios Frangulis, returning to one of her favorite vacation spots. After spending a few days in the Mediterranean country, she made a rare trip back to her home country, Belarus.
She spoke about her visit during her interview with First&Red. “Well, yes, of course, I’m very excited, very happy. I’m really curious to see what Georgis thinks. I want to break down these stereotypes about our city, our country, and show them at their best.”
“And, of course, I’m very happy that I’ll finally get to fly back, see the grandmothers, open the courts, give a little of myself to the children, and just breathe in our air,” she added, according to Championat.
Aryna Sabalenka was present at the inauguration of her Tigerhood clay courts in Minsk, which she said were built to provide “a home for young players to dream, compete, make friends, and discover a love” for tennis.
She also enjoyed some relaxing moments with her 17-year-old sister Tonechka and her mother Yulia, who has been a pillar of support throughout her career. Sabalenka also introduced her fiancé, Brazilian entrepreneur Frangulis, to her grandmothers and other loved ones.
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The World No. 1 also opened up about the support she receives from her countrymen at tournaments around the globe. “They actually often express pride and gratitude for something. And everyone is very kind, very cheerful, full of life. I don’t know, I’ve never met a single Belarusian who would, to put it bluntly, tell me to go to hell or be unkind to others. I’ve never had that experience.”
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Sabalenka is scheduled to resume her 2026 campaign at the WTA 1000 National Bank Open in Toronto (August 3-13). The top seed at the event, she has no points to defend after missing last year’s tournament. Sabalenka would aim for a deep run as she looks to maintain her position at the top of the rankings amid Elena Rybakina’s growing challenge.
