Aryna Sabalenka facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Aryna Sabalenka

Sabalenka at the 2024 Washington Open
Full name	Aryna Siarhiejeŭna Sabalenka
Native name	Арына Сяргееўна Сабаленка
Country (sports)	Belarus
Residence	Miami, Florida, US
Born	(1998-05-05) 5 May 1998 (age 27) Minsk, Belarus
Height	1.82 m (5 ft 11+1⁄2 in)
Turned pro	2015
Plays	Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Coach	Anton Dubrov
Prize money	US$34,499,838 9th in all-time rankings
Singles
Career record	447–194
Career titles	20
Highest ranking	No. 1 (11 September 2023)
Current ranking	No. 1 (2 June 2025)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	W (2023, 2024)
French Open	F (2025)
Wimbledon	SF (2021, 2023)
US Open	W (2024)
Other tournaments
Tour Finals	F (2022)
Olympic Games	2R (2021)
Doubles
Career record	90–67
Career titles	6
Highest ranking	No. 1 (22 February 2021)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	W (2021)
French Open	SF (2019)
Wimbledon	QF (2019)
US Open	W (2019)
Other doubles tournaments
Tour Finals	RR (2019)
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
Wimbledon	2R (2019)
Team competitions
Fed Cup	F (2017)

Aryna Siarhiejeŭna Sabalenka (born May 5, 1998) is a top professional tennis player from Belarus. She has been ranked world No. 1 in both singles and doubles by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA). Known for her powerful game, Aryna has won three Grand Slam singles titles: two Australian Opens (2023, 2024) and one US Open (2024). She has also won many other WTA Tour titles. In doubles, she has won two Grand Slam titles with her partner Elise Mertens.

Aryna first gained major attention in 2017 when she helped the Belarus Fed Cup team reach the Fed Cup final. She won her first Grand Slam singles title at the 2023 Australian Open and became the world No. 1 player. In 2024, she won two more Grand Slam titles and finished the year ranked No. 1 again. Aryna is known for her aggressive playing style and very strong serve.

Early Life and How She Started Tennis

Aryna Sabalenka was born in Minsk, the capital city of Belarus. Her father, Siarhiej, who sadly passed away in 2019, used to be an ice hockey player. Aryna's journey into tennis was quite accidental! She once said her dad saw some tennis courts while they were driving, took her there, and she enjoyed it. She began training seriously at the National Tennis Academy in Minsk when it opened in 2014.

Career Journey

Junior Years

Aryna started playing on the main ITF Junior Circuit (a series of tournaments for young players) a bit later than some others. She played smaller events and didn't compete in junior Grand Slam tournaments. Her highest junior ranking was No. 225. She won some junior ITF titles in singles and doubles, mainly in 2013 and 2014, before focusing on professional events.

Turning Professional (2012–2016)

Aryna began playing professional ITF Women's Circuit events in 2012. She won her first professional titles in 2015. By 2016, she made her Fed Cup debut for Belarus and won bigger $50,000 ITF titles. These helped her finish 2016 ranked No. 137 in the world.

Breakthrough to Top 100 (2017)

Sabalenka at the 2017 Washington Open

2017 was a big year for Aryna. She won her first WTA Tour match at Wimbledon. She reached her first WTA final at the Tianjin Open, playing against her idol Maria Sharapova. This performance helped her break into the top 100 rankings. She was also a hero for Belarus in the Fed Cup, helping them reach the final. She ended the year by winning a WTA 125 title in Mumbai.

WTA Newcomer of the Year (2018)

Sabalenka at the 2018 Wimbledon Championships

In 2018, Aryna won her first main WTA Tour title at the Connecticut Open in New Haven. She then won the much bigger Wuhan Open, a Premier 5 event. She reached the fourth round of the US Open and beat several top-10 players during the year. She climbed to No. 11 in the world and was named WTA Newcomer of the Year.

Doubles Slam & Singles Success (2019)

Mertens and Sabalenka at the 2019 French Open

In singles, Aryna entered the top 10 rankings. She won three titles, all in China, including defending her Wuhan Open title where she beat world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty. She also won the WTA Elite Trophy. In doubles, 2019 was huge with her partner Elise Mertens. They won the "Sunshine Double" (Indian Wells and Miami). Their biggest win was the US Open doubles title – Aryna's first Grand Slam! She reached No. 2 in the world in doubles.

Top 10 Finish (2020)

Aryna won the Qatar Open early in 2020. After the tennis tour paused for several months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she finished the season very strongly. She won titles in Ostrava and Linz. This helped her achieve her first year-end top-10 singles ranking.

Doubles No. 1, Singles No. 2 (2021)

In 2021, Aryna and Elise Mertens won the Australian Open doubles title. This amazing win made Aryna the world No. 1 in doubles for the first time! In singles, she won the prestigious Madrid Open. She also reached her first Grand Slam semifinals at Wimbledon and the US Open. This success pushed her to world No. 2 in singles.

WTA Finals Runner-Up (2022)

Aryna faced some serving difficulties in early 2022 but still reached the Stuttgart Open final. She was not allowed to play at Wimbledon that year. However, she made the US Open semifinals again. She finished the year strongly by reaching the final of the WTA Finals, beating three top-3 players on the way.

First Grand Slam & World No. 1 (2023)

Sabalenka at the 2023 US Open

2023 was an incredible and historic year for Aryna! She started by winning her first Grand Slam singles title at the Australian Open, defeating Elena Rybakina. She also won the Madrid Open. She was very consistent in Grand Slams, reaching the semifinals at the French Open and Wimbledon, and the final at the US Open. After the US Open, Aryna became the world No. 1 singles player for the first time! She was named the ITF World Champion for her amazing season.

Two More Slams, Year-End No. 1 (2024)

Sabalenka at the 2024 US Open

Aryna's fantastic run continued in 2024. She defended her Australian Open title, and impressively, she didn't lose a single set in the entire tournament! After an injury break, she came back strong to win the Cincinnati Open. Then, she won her third Grand Slam singles title at the US Open. She also won the Wuhan Open again. These victories helped her regain the world No. 1 ranking. She finished the year as the No. 1 player and was named WTA Player of the Year.

Sabalenka lifting the 2024 US Open singles trophy

Continued Strong Performances (2025)

Aryna started 2025 by winning the Brisbane International. She showed her consistency by reaching her third straight Australian Open final and also the French Open final. She won big titles at the Miami Open for the first time and her third Madrid Open title, proving she remains one of the very top players in the world.

Playing for Her Country: Fed Cup

Aryna has proudly played for her country, Belarus, in the Fed Cup (which is now called the Billie Jean King Cup), an important international team competition for women.

Surprise Finalists (2017)

In 2017, she and her teammate Aliaksandra Sasnovich led Belarus to a surprise Fed Cup final. This was a big deal because not many people expected them to get that far. Aryna won some very important matches, including a victory against the then-current US Open champion, Sloane Stephens. Although Belarus lost the final in a very close contest, their performance was a huge achievement and made many people in Belarus excited about tennis.

Later Years

Aryna continued to be a key player for the Belarus team in the following years. In 2019, she helped them reach the semifinals of the Fed Cup, again showing her strength in team competitions.

Famous Rivalries

Aryna has had some very exciting and memorable matches against other top tennis players. These rivalries are fun for fans to watch!

• vs. Iga Świątek: Aryna and Iga Świątek from Poland have played many times. Their matches are often very close and full of great tennis. They've played in big finals, like at the Madrid Open, with both players having won exciting matches against each other.
• vs. Elena Rybakina: Aryna has also had a number of tough matches against Elena Rybakina from Kazakhstan. One of their most famous matches was the 2023 Australian Open final, which Aryna won to get her first Grand Slam title.
• vs. Coco Gauff: Matches between Aryna and the American player Coco Gauff are always highly anticipated. They've played each other in very important Grand Slam matches, including the 2023 US Open final (which Gauff won) and the 2024 Australian Open semifinals (which Aryna won). They also met in the 2025 French Open final.
• vs. Ashleigh Barty: Before Ashleigh Barty from Australia retired from tennis, she and Aryna had several close battles on the court. Their head-to-head record ended up tied, which shows how evenly matched they often were.

How Aryna Plays Tennis

Sabalenka serving

Aryna is known for her very powerful and aggressive style of playing. She usually plays from the back of the court (this is called a baseliner) and tries to hit winning shots to end points quickly.

Key Strengths

Her serve is one of the strongest and fastest in women's tennis. It can go as fast as 200 km/h (124 mph)! This means she hits a lot of aces (serves that the opponent doesn't even touch). Her groundstrokes (shots made after the ball bounces, like forehands and backhands) are also incredibly powerful. She hits the ball very hard and deep into the opponent's court. This attacking style means she hits many winners, but it can also lead to more unforced errors (mistakes). Over the years, she has worked on being more consistent. She prefers playing on grass courts and hard courts, where her powerful game is very effective.

Grunting

When Aryna hits the ball, she often makes a loud grunt. She has said she doesn't really hear herself when she's playing. It's a noticeable part of her game.

Her Coaching Team

Like all top athletes, Aryna has worked with several coaches to help her improve her game and reach her potential. She worked with Khalil Ibrahimov early in her career. Later, Dmitry Tursunov was her main coach during an important part of her rise in 2018 and 2019. More recently, her main coach has been Anton Dubrov, who was also her hitting partner (someone who practices with a player) for a long time. Her team also includes fitness trainers and other support staff who help her prepare for tournaments.

Who Sponsors Aryna?

Aryna is sponsored by some famous sports brands, which means they support her and she uses their products. Nike provides her with clothes and shoes for her matches and practice. Since the 2023 US Open, Nike has even designed special outfits just for her. She uses tennis racquets made by Wilson, specifically from their "Blade" line of racquets.

Off the Court

Aryna has a cool tattoo of a tiger on her left arm. This has earned her the nickname "The Tiger," and she sometimes calls herself that too! She studied a sports-related program at the Belarusian State University in Minsk. When she was growing up, her tennis idols (players she looked up to) were Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova. Sadly, Aryna's father, Sergey, who was a former ice hockey player, passed away suddenly in 2019. In March 2024, Konstantin Koltsov, a former professional ice hockey player with whom she had a relationship, also passed away. Aryna later shared that they were separated at the time of his death.

Television and film

Sabalenka appears in the tennis docuseries Break Point, which premiered on Netflix on 13 January 2023.

Career statistics

Grand Slam tournament performance timelines

Singles

Doubles

Grand Slam tournament finals

Singles: 6 (3 titles, 3 runner-ups)

Result	Year	Tournament	Surface	Opponent	Score
Win	2023	Australian Open	Hard	Elena Rybakina	4–6, 6–3, 6–4
Loss	2023	US Open	Hard	Coco Gauff	6–2, 3–6, 2–6
Win	2024	Australian Open (2)	Hard	Zheng Qinwen	6–3, 6–2
Win	2024	US Open	Hard	Jessica Pegula	7–5, 7–5
Loss	2025	Australian Open	Hard	Madison Keys	3–6, 6–2, 5–7
Loss	2025	French Open	Clay	Coco Gauff	7–6(7–5), 2–6, 4–6

Doubles: 2 (2 titles)

Result	Year	Tournament	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Win	2019	US Open	Hard	Elise Mertens	Victoria Azarenka Ashleigh Barty	7–5, 7–5
Win	2021	Australian Open	Hard	Elise Mertens	Barbora Krejčíková Kateřina Siniaková	6–2, 6–3

Year-end championships finals

Singles: 1 (runner-up)

Result	Year	Tournament	Surface	Opponent	Score
Loss	2022	WTA Finals, United States	Hard (i)	Caroline Garcia	6–7(4–7), 4–6

Records and achievements

Open Era records

• This record was attained in the Open Era of tennis.
• Records in bold indicate peer-less achievements.

See Also

In Spanish: Aryna Sabalenka para niños