Aryna Sabalenka’s fiancé, Georgios Frangulis, and her close friend on tour, Paula Badosa, extended their support to her after her loss in the quarterfinals of the 2026 Madrid Open. The world No. 1 was defending her title at the WTA 1000 clay-court tournament in Spain, having won it in 2025 by defeating Coco Gauff in the final.
Leading up to the Madrid Open, Sabalenka competed in the North American hard-court swing, where she claimed titles at Indian Wells and the Miami Open, becoming the fifth woman to win the Sunshine Double.
Georgios Frangulis and Paula Badosa React to Aryna Sabalenka’s Madrid Open Exit
Sabalenka was the top seed at the 2026 Madrid Open, and she began her campaign in the second round after receiving a first-round bye. She defeated Peyton Stearns 7-5, 6-3 in her opening match and overcame No. 29 seed Jaqueline Cristian 6-1, 6-4 in the third round.
In the fourth round, the world No. 1 eliminated Naomi Osaka, winning 6-7(1), 6-3, 6-2. Her campaign ended in the quarterfinals, where she lost to the No. 30 seed, Hailey Baptiste, 6-2, 2-6, 6-7(6).
After her exit from the WTA 1000 tournament, the Belarusian took to social media to share a series of pictures, reflecting on some of the special moments she experienced in Spain.
Sabalenka shared pictures of herself with fiancé Frangulis, Badosa, and some scenic photos of Spain. She also posted several pictures and a video of her puppy, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Ash, who travels with her during tournaments. She also expressed gratitude to the Four Seasons Hotel Madrid for hosting them and making their stay special.
“Moments from Madrid 💛 thank you for making us feel at home @fsmadrid,” Sabalenka captioned her Instagram post.
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Reacting to Sabalenka’s post, her fiancé Frangulis and Badosa expressed their love and admiration for her.
“♥️ ♥️ ♥️ ♥️ my love,” Frangulis commented (translated from Portuguese).
“❤️ 😍 🤝 bebesita!” Badosa wrote.
Looking ahead, Sabalenka is expected to compete at the 2026 Italian Open, scheduled from May 5, 2026, to May 17, 2026. The matches will take place on the outdoor clay courts at the Foro Italico in Rome.
In addition to Sabalenka, players such as Elena Rybakina, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Karolína Muchová, Amanda Anisimova, Mirra Andreeva, Victoria Mboko, defending champion Jasmine Paolini, and former champions Iga Świątek and Elina Svitolina are also expected to compete at the WTA 1000 clay-court tournament in Rome.
Last year, the four-time singles Grand Slam champion was the top seed at the Italian Open, beginning her campaign in the second round after a first-round bye. She defeated Anastasia Potapova, Sofia Kenin, and Marta Kostyuk before losing to Zheng Qinwen in the quarterfinals.
Sabalenka secured her best result at the Italian Open in 2024. She eliminated Katie Volynets, Dayana Yastremska, Svitolina, Jeļena Ostapenko, and Danielle Collins to secure her place in the final. There, she finished as the runner-up after losing to Świątek.
Meanwhile, Badosa was also scheduled to participate in the 2026 Italian Open. She was expected to compete in the qualifying rounds to secure her place in the main draw; however, she withdrew from the tournament. Her next competition is anticipated to be the 2026 French Open.
