Aryna Sabalenka’s off-court pause in Dubai came with a public show of affection from her boyfriend, Georgios Frangulis, as the world No. 1 offered fans a window into her quieter moments away from the Tour. Fresh off another deep run at the Australian Open, the Belarusian shared snapshots of rest, routine, and everyday indulgences in the UAE, prompting a simple response from Frangulis.
A Breakdown of Aryna Sabalenka’s 2026 Australian Open Campaign
Sabalenka recently concluded her ninth appearance in the main draw at the 2026 Australian Open. Her campaign opened smoothly, as she eased through the early rounds in straight sets against French wildcard Tiantsoa Sarah Rakotomanga Rajaonah and Chinese qualifier Zhuoxuan Bai. The road grew tougher in the following round, where she had to dig deep to overcome Anastasia Potapova 7-6(4), 7-6(9).
Finding her rhythm again, Sabalenka brushed aside 17th seed Victoria Mboko 6-1, 7-6(1), then powered past 29th seed Iva Jović 6-3, 6-0 to secure a spot in the semifinals. She followed that with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over 12th seed Elina Svitolina, advancing to her fourth consecutive Australian Open final.
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Her run ended just short of the title, though, as she fell in a three-set battle to fifth seed Elena Rybakina, losing 4-6, 6-4, 4-6 in a rematch of their 2023 championship clash. With the sting of Melbourne still fresh, she opted for recovery over competition and withdrew from the Qatar Open in Doha, choosing rest instead of rushing back onto the circuit.
How Did Sabalenka Spend Her Recovery Break in Dubai?
That decision set the stage for her Dubai interlude. During her downtime, she posted a photo carousel featuring moments from her penthouse, including sunbathing, shopping, and dining, captioning it, “Catching you up… 🫶🏼.”
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Frangulis, a Brazilian entrepreneur and co-founder of global açaí brand Oakberry, replied in the comments with red heart emojis.
Sabalenka’s off-court life has gained attention since her relationship with Frangulis became public in 2024. They met through her partnership with Oakberry and drew notice when he supported her from the player box at the Madrid Open.
By mid-2024, they went Instagram-official, and Frangulis has since been a familiar presence at her matches. Throughout 2025, the pair traveled together, shared vacation posts, and made joint appearances, with Sabalenka occasionally mentioning him in interviews.
