Aryna Sabalenka was defending her title at the 2026 Madrid Open, having won the tournament last year by defeating Coco Gauff in the final. However, this year, her run at the WTA 1000 clay court tournament in Spain ended in the quarterfinals. Following her defeat, her fiancé, Georgios Frangulis, expressed his love and support.
Sabalenka and Frangulis have been together for two years, first appearing publicly during the 2024 Madrid Open. The couple got engaged in March 2026. Frangulis, a Brazilian entrepreneur of Greek heritage, is the founder of Oakberry, a global superfoods brand.
Aryna Sabalenka’s Fiancé Georgios Frangulis Sends His Love Following Belarusian’s QF Exit at Madrid Open
Sabalenka was the top seed at the 2026 Madrid Open, and she began her title defense in the second round after receiving a first-round bye. She defeated Peyton Stearns with a score of 7-5, 6-3 in her opening match and then eliminated 29th seed Jaqueline Cristian with a score of 6-1, 6-4 in the third round.
In the fourth round, the World No. 1 triumphed over Naomi Osaka, coming back from a set down to win 6-7(1), 6-3, 6-2. However, her campaign ended in the quarterfinals, where she lost to the 30th seed, Hailey Baptiste, 6-2, 2-6, 6-7(6).
After her exit from the Madrid Open, Sabalenka took to social media to share a series of pictures and a video showcasing her time at the WTA 1000 clay-court tournament. She mentioned that her quarterfinal exit wasn’t the ending she had hoped for, but she was proud of the effort she put into the tournament.
“Not the ending I wanted, but proud of the work I put in. We’re just getting started with clay season 💪🏼 🧡 Thank you @mutuamadridopen,” Sabalenka captioned her Instagram post.
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In response to her post, Frangulis commented with a red heart, showing his love and support.
“❤️,” Frangulis commented.
Looking ahead, Sabalenka is expected to compete at the 2026 Italian Open, scheduled for May 5, 2026, to May 17, 2026. The tournament matches will be played on the outdoor clay courts at the Foro Italico in Rome, Italy.
In addition to the four-time Grand Slam singles champion, players such as Elena Rybakina, Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Amanda Anisimova, Mirra Andreeva, Victoria Mboko, Karolína Muchová, defending champion Jasmine Paolini, and former champions Iga Świątek and Elina Svitolina are also expected to compete in Rome.
Sabalenka recorded her best result at the Italian Open in 2024. She was seeded second and began her campaign in the second round after receiving a first-round bye. She defeated Katie Volynets in her opening match and then eliminated Dayana Yastremska and Svitolina in the third and fourth rounds, respectively.
In the quarterfinals, the world No. 1 triumphed over Jeļena Ostapenko and secured her place in the final by overcoming Danielle Collins in the semifinals. In the championship match, she finished as the runner-up after losing to Świątek.
