Aryna Sabalenka facts for kids

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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$36,797,811 8th in all-time rankings
Singles
Career record	456–195
Career titles	20
Highest ranking	No. 1 (11 September 2023)
Current ranking	No. 1 (21 October 2024)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	W (2023, 2024)
French Open	F (2025)
Wimbledon	SF (2021, 2023, 2025)
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 Sabalenka (born May 5, 1998) is a professional tennis player from Belarus. She is currently ranked as the world No. 1 in women's singles by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA). She was also once the world No. 1 in women's doubles.

Sabalenka has won 20 singles titles on the WTA Tour. These include three major championships: the Australian Open in 2023 and 2024, and the US Open in 2024. She has also won nine WTA 1000 events. In doubles, she has won six titles, including two major championships: the US Open in 2019 and the Australian Open in 2021. She won both of these doubles titles with her partner Elise Mertens.

Sabalenka became well-known in 2017. She helped the Belarus Fed Cup team reach the final, even though she was not highly ranked at the time. She finished 2018 and 2019 ranked No. 11 in singles. After reaching two major singles semifinals in 2021, she became world No. 2. In 2023, she won her first major singles title at the Australian Open and became world No. 1. She was named the ITF World Champion for that year.

She successfully defended her Australian Open title in 2024 and won the US Open. This helped her finish 2024 as the year-end No. 1 player. In 2025, Sabalenka reached the finals of both the Australian and French Opens.

Sabalenka also started playing doubles regularly in 2019. With Elise Mertens, she quickly found success. They won big tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami in 2019. After winning the US Open doubles title later that year, she played in the WTA Finals for the first time. After winning the 2021 Australian Open doubles title, Sabalenka became the world No. 1 in doubles. After that, she focused mainly on playing singles.

Sabalenka plays with an aggressive style. She often hits many powerful shots that win points. She also has a very strong serve because of her height.

Early Life and Tennis Beginnings

Sabalenka was born in Minsk, the capital city of Belarus. Her father, Siarhiej, who passed away in 2019, was an ice hockey player. Aryna started playing tennis by chance. She once said that her dad saw tennis courts while driving and took her there. She liked it and that's how her tennis journey began.

She started training at the National Tennis Academy in Minsk when it opened in 2014. In 2015, the Belarusian Tennis Federation encouraged her to play in professional events. This was instead of junior tournaments, even though she was still young enough for junior competitions.

Tennis Career Highlights

Junior Years

Sabalenka started playing on the ITF Junior Circuit later than some. She mostly played on U14 and U16 tours in Europe when she was younger. She didn't play in major junior tournaments like the junior Grand Slams. Because of this, her highest junior ranking was No. 225.

She won her first junior doubles title in Belarus in 2013. In 2014, she did well in smaller junior events. She reached her first singles final in Estonia and won her first singles title in Finland. She also won a singles and doubles title in Belarus that year.

Starting Professional Tennis (2012–2016)

Sabalenka began playing on the ITF Women's Circuit in 2012. She won her first professional match in Istanbul in late 2014. In October 2015, she won her first two professional titles in Turkey. She also won another title at the end of that year. These wins helped her enter the top 300 WTA rankings in early 2016.

In April 2016, she played for the Belarus Fed Cup team for the first time. That year, she won two bigger titles, which helped her reach the top 200. She finished 2016 ranked No. 137 in the world.

Breakthrough Year (2017)

Sabalenka had a quiet start to 2017. She played in her first main draw WTA Tour event in February. Her first WTA Tour match win came at Wimbledon in July. This was her first time playing in a Grand Slam main draw. She then won another match at the Washington Open, defeating a higher-ranked player.

After the US Open, Sabalenka reached her first WTA semifinal in Tashkent. A few weeks later, she made it to her first WTA tournament final at the Tianjin Open. She lost to her childhood idol Maria Sharapova in the final. This performance helped her enter the top 100 rankings for the first time, reaching No. 76. She finished the season by winning her biggest title yet at the Mumbai Open.

Rising Star (2018)

In 2018, Sabalenka played only on the WTA Tour. She reached two quarterfinals early in the year. She also won her first matches at a Premier tournament in Indian Wells.

She reached her second career final on clay in Lugano, where she finished second to Elise Mertens. This success put her into the top 50. She then had strong results on grass courts. She reached the quarterfinals in Rosmalen and the final at the Eastbourne International. At Eastbourne, she won five tough matches, including her first win against a top-ten player, Karolína Plíšková. She lost the final to world No. 2 Caroline Wozniacki.

During the summer hardcourt season in North America, Sabalenka's ranking climbed. She reached the third round in Canada and the semifinals in Cincinnati. In Canada, she beat Wozniacki for her biggest win. In Cincinnati, she had two more top-ten wins before losing to world No. 1 Simona Halep. A week later, Sabalenka won her first WTA Tour title at the Connecticut Open. She then had her best Grand Slam result, reaching the fourth round at the US Open. She upset world No. 5 Petra Kvitová before losing to the champion, Naomi Osaka.

After the US Open, Sabalenka won her biggest title yet at the Wuhan Open. She upset world No. 6 Elina Svitolina there. This success helped her reach No. 11 in the world. At the end of the season, she was named the WTA Newcomer of the Year for her great performance.

Top 10 in Singles and Doubles (2019)

Singles Success

Sabalenka finished 2019 with three titles, all in China. She started the year by winning her third WTA title at the Shenzhen Open. She struggled at the Grand Slams that year, but still made her top-10 debut after the Australian Open.

She had a better second half of the season. She defended her title at the Premier 5 Wuhan Open. During this event, she beat world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty for her first win against a current world No. 1 player. She won the final against Alison Riske. At the end of the season, Sabalenka won the WTA Elite Trophy for her fifth career title.

Doubles Achievements

Sabalenka started partnering with Elise Mertens in January 2019. They had a big breakthrough in March, winning the Indian Wells Open and the Miami Open. These wins are known as the "Sunshine Double." With these two titles, Sabalenka's doubles ranking rose to No. 21.

Sabalenka and Mertens continued to play together. They reached the semifinals at the French Open and the quarterfinals at Wimbledon. Their best result of the year was winning the US Open doubles title. This was Sabalenka's first Grand Slam title in any event. With this win, she entered the top 10 in doubles at No. 6.

They also reached another final at the Wuhan Open. Their success helped them qualify for the WTA Finals as the top seeds. They finished the year ranked No. 2 and No. 3 in doubles.

Continued Success (2020)

Sabalenka started 2020 by reaching the semifinals in Adelaide. She then won her third Premier-5 title at the Qatar Open, defeating Petra Kvitová in the final.

After the tennis season resumed following the COVID-19 break, Sabalenka won two more titles. She won in Ostrava, defeating her fellow Belarusian Victoria Azarenka in the final. She then won the Linz title. These wins helped Sabalenka finish the year in the top 10 for the first time in her career.

Doubles World No. 1 and Singles No. 2 (2021)

Sabalenka started 2021 with a winning streak. She won the Abu Dhabi Open, extending her winning streak to 15 matches. This boosted her ranking to No. 7.

At the Australian Open, she reached the fourth round. She then won the doubles competition with Elise Mertens. By winning this title, Sabalenka became the world No. 1 in doubles for the first time in her career in February 2021.

Sabalenka won the title at the Madrid Open, defeating world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty in the final. This was her fourth WTA 1000 title and helped her enter the top 5 in singles, reaching world No. 4.

She also won the doubles event at the German Open with Victoria Azarenka.

At Wimbledon, Sabalenka reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinal and semifinal. She lost in the semifinal to Karolína Plíšková. Her performance at Wimbledon helped her reach a career-high singles ranking of world No. 3. She became the third Belarusian woman to reach the Wimbledon semifinals.

She reached the semifinals at the Canadian Open. Despite a loss in Cincinnati, Sabalenka reached a career-high ranking of world No. 2. At the US Open, she reached her second major semifinal, where she lost to Leylah Fernandez.

WTA Finals Runner-up (2022)

Sabalenka had a challenging start to 2022, especially with her serve. She struggled at the Australian Open, but still reached the fourth round.

She found better form later in the year, reaching the quarterfinals at the Qatar Ladies Open. She then reached her first final of 2022 at the Stuttgart Open, where she lost to world No. 1 Iga Świątek.

Due to a ban on Russian and Belarusian players, Sabalenka could not play at Wimbledon in 2022. She made a strong run at the US Open, reaching the semifinals for the second time. She lost to Iga Świątek in the semifinals.

At the WTA Finals, she reached the final. She defeated world No. 3 Jessica Pegula, No. 2 Ons Jabeur, and No. 1 Iga Świątek. She became only the fourth woman to defeat the top 3 players at the same tournament. She lost the final to Caroline Garcia.

Australian Open Champion and World No. 1 (2023)

Sabalenka started 2023 by winning the Adelaide 1 title without losing a single set.

She then entered the Australian Open as a strong contender. She reached her first major final and defeated reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina in three sets to win her first major title. She became the second Belarusian woman to win a major singles title. After this win, Sabalenka rose to No. 2 in the WTA rankings.

In Indian Wells, she reached her first final there, but lost to Elena Rybakina. She then reached the quarterfinals in Miami.

Sabalenka reached her fourth final of the year at the Stuttgart Open, losing to Iga Świątek. However, she won her third title of the year at the Madrid Open, defeating Świątek in the final.

At the French Open, she reached the semifinals without losing a set. She lost in the semifinals to Karolína Muchová.

Sabalenka continued her strong Grand Slam performance at Wimbledon, reaching her fourth straight major semifinal. She lost to Ons Jabeur.

At the US Open, Sabalenka reached the semifinals. She became the first player since Serena Williams in 2016 to reach the semifinals of all four major events in one year. She reached her second major final of the year, but lost to Coco Gauff. Due to Iga Świątek's loss in the fourth round, Sabalenka became the world No. 1 tennis player for the first time after the tournament. She was the 29th player to be ranked No. 1 on the WTA Tour.

At the WTA Finals, Sabalenka reached the semifinals, where she lost to Iga Świątek. Świątek then reclaimed the world No. 1 ranking, and Sabalenka finished 2023 as world No. 2. In December, Sabalenka was named the ITF World Champion.

Two Major Titles and Year-End No. 1 (2024)

In January 2024, Sabalenka reached the final of the Brisbane International, losing to Elena Rybakina.

Sabalenka then won the Australian Open without losing a set. She became the first woman to successfully defend her title there since Victoria Azarenka in 2013. She defeated Zheng Qinwen in the final.

She reached the quarterfinals at Stuttgart. As the defending champion in Madrid, she reached the final after several tough three-set matches. In a rematch of the previous year's final, she faced Iga Świątek and lost, despite having championship points. In Rome, she also reached the final, but again lost to Iga Świątek.

At the French Open, she reached the quarterfinals but lost to Mirra Andreeva. This loss caused her ranking to drop to No. 3.

Sabalenka had a shoulder injury in June and withdrew from Wimbledon. She won the Cincinnati Open in August, defeating Iga Świątek in the semifinals and Jessica Pegula in the final.

In September, Sabalenka won the US Open. She defeated Jessica Pegula in straight sets in the final to claim her third major title.

She continued her strong form at the China Open, winning 15 matches in a row before losing in the quarterfinals. At the Wuhan Open, she won her third title there, defeating Zheng Qinwen in the final.

In October, she regained the WTA world No. 1 ranking. At the WTA Finals, Sabalenka secured the year-end No. 1 ranking for the first time. She reached the semifinals but lost to Coco Gauff. In December, Sabalenka was named WTA Player of the Year.

Recent Matches (2025)

Sabalenka started 2025 by winning the Brisbane International. This was her 18th singles title.

At the Australian Open, she reached the final for the third time in a row. She lost to Madison Keys in three sets.

She played in the Qatar Ladies Open and the Dubai Championships. She then played at Indian Wells, reaching the final where she lost to Mirra Andreeva.

Sabalenka won her first Miami Open title, defeating Jessica Pegula in the final.

At the Stuttgart Open, she reached her fifth final of the season, but lost to Jeļena Ostapenko.

Sabalenka won her third Madrid Open title, defeating Coco Gauff in the final. After Madrid, she became the third woman to pass 11,000 points in WTA ranking.

In Rome, she reached the quarterfinals. At the French Open, Sabalenka reached the final, defeating defending champion Iga Świątek in the semifinals. She lost the final to Coco Gauff.

She then played at the Berlin Open, reaching the semifinals.

Representing Her Country

Fed Cup Team

Early Years

Sabalenka played for Belarus at the Junior Fed Cup in 2014. She made her debut for the senior Belarus team in April 2016.

Surprise Success (2017)

The Belarus Fed Cup team made their debut in the top-tier World Group in 2017. They surprisingly reached the final, even though they were not expected to do so. Sabalenka and Aliaksandra Sasnovich led the team. They played all their matches at home in Minsk.

Sabalenka helped Belarus win their quarterfinal and semifinal matches. In the final against the United States, Sabalenka upset the US Open champion Sloane Stephens. However, in the deciding doubles match, Sabalenka and Sasnovich lost to the US team.

Even though they finished second, Belarus's success in the Fed Cup helped make women's tennis more popular in their country.

Later Years (2018–2019)

In 2018, Belarus lost in the quarterfinals to Germany. Sabalenka won her singles matches, but the team lost the deciding doubles match. They then had to play a match to stay in the World Group, which they won.

In the 2019 Fed Cup, Belarus again played Germany in the quarterfinals. Sabalenka won both her singles matches to help Belarus win the tie. They then faced Australia in the semifinals. Sabalenka and Azarenka played for Belarus. They both beat Samantha Stosur, but lost to Ashleigh Barty. In the final doubles match, Australia won, eliminating Belarus.

Tennis Rivalries

Iga Świątek

Sabalenka and Iga Świątek have played each other many times since 2021. Świątek has won more matches, with a record of 8 wins to Sabalenka's 5. Their matches are often exciting. Some of their most memorable matches include the finals of the Madrid Open in 2024 and 2023. Sabalenka also defeated Świątek at the 2025 French Open.

Elena Rybakina

Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina have played eleven times since 2019. Sabalenka has won 7 of these matches, while Rybakina has won 4.

Coco Gauff

Sabalenka and Coco Gauff have played eleven times since 2020. Gauff has won 6 matches, and Sabalenka has won 5. They have played in major tournaments, including the 2023 US Open final, which Gauff won. Sabalenka defeated Gauff in the semifinals of the 2024 Australian Open. Gauff defeated Sabalenka in the final of the 2025 French Open.

Playing Style

Sabalenka is a powerful and aggressive player. She hits the ball hard from the back of the court. She has a very strong serve that can reach speeds of 200 km/h (124 mph). This allows her to hit many aces. In 2023, she ranked third in aces served with 401. However, her serve can sometimes be inconsistent, leading to many double faults. In 2020, she had the most double faults of any player.

Sabalenka's groundstrokes (shots hit after the ball bounces) are also very powerful and deep. Tennis expert Mary Carillo has described her game as "big babe tennis personified" because of her power and fierce attitude.

While Sabalenka can hit many winning shots, she can also make many mistakes. Her coaches have helped her improve her shot choices. She prefers playing on grass and hard courts. She won her first clay court title at the 2021 Madrid Open.

Sabalenka often makes a loud sound, called grunting, when she hits the ball. She has said she doesn't even hear herself when she plays. She hopes it doesn't bother her opponents.

Coaches

Sabalenka has worked with several coaches throughout her career. She worked with Khalil Ibrahimov until 2018. She then worked with Magnus Norman and Magnus Tideman. Dmitry Tursunov became her main coach in 2018. They separated briefly in 2019 before reuniting, then split permanently at the end of that year. She briefly worked with Dieter Kindlmann. Her current coaching team includes her longtime hitting partner and fellow Belarusian, Anton Dubrov, fitness trainer Jason Stacy, and hitting partner Andrei Vasilevski.

Sponsorships

Sabalenka is sponsored by Nike for her sportswear and shoes. Nike started designing special clothes for her in 2023. She is also sponsored by Wilson for her tennis racquets.

Personal Life

Sabalenka has a tiger tattoo on her left arm, which has given her the nickname "The Tiger." She studied at the Belarusian State University in a sports program. Her tennis heroes growing up were Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova.

Her father, Sergey, who was a former ice hockey player, passed away in 2019.

Her former boyfriend, Konstantin Koltsov, passed away in March 2024. Sabalenka later shared that they were no longer together at that time.

She has been in a relationship with Georgios Frangulis since 2024.

Views on World Events

Sabalenka has expressed her thoughts on world events. She has stated that she does not support conflict and hopes for peace. She has said that no athletes from her country support war.

Career Statistics

Grand Slam Tournament Performance

Singles

Tournament	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025	SR	W–L	Win %
Australian Open	Q2	1R	3R	1R	4R	4R	W	W	F	2 / 8	28–6	82%
French Open	Q1	1R	2R	3R	3R	3R	SF	QF	F	0 / 8	22–8	73%
Wimbledon	2R	1R	1R	NH	SF	A	SF	A	SF	0 / 6	16–6	73%
US Open	Q1	4R	2R	2R	SF	SF	F	W		1 / 7	28–6	82%
Win–loss	1–1	3–4	4–4	3–3	15–4	10–3	23–3	18–1	17–3	3 / 29	94–26	78%

Doubles

Tournament	2018	2019	2020	2021	SR	W–L	Win %
Australian Open	1R	3R	QF	W	1 / 4	10–3	77%
French Open	A	SF	2R	A	0 / 2	5–2	71%
Wimbledon	2R	QF	NH	A	0 / 2	4–2	67%
US Open	3R	W	QF	A	1 / 3	10–2	83%
Win–loss	3–3	15–3	6–3	5–0	2 / 11	29–9	76%

Grand Slam 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

• These records were achieved during the Open Era of tennis.
• Records in bold mean she is the only player to achieve them.

Tournament	Year Accomplished	Since	Record Accomplished	Players Matched	Reference(s)
WTA Tour	2024	2010	Players to complete Cincinnati Open–US Open double	Kim Clijsters, Serena Williams, Coco Gauff
Grand Slam events	2024	1988	Won both the Australian Open and US Open in the same calendar year	Steffi Graf, Monica Seles, Martina Hingis, Angelique Kerber
Australian Open	2024	1997	Won the Australian Open without dropping a set	Ashleigh Barty, Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, Lindsay Davenport, Martina Hingis
Wuhan Open	2024	2024	Won three consecutive Wuhan Open titles (2018, 2019, and 2024)	Stands Alone
Cincinnati Open	2024	2006	Player to win Cincinnati Open without losing a set	Vera Zvonareva, Ashleigh Barty

See also

In Spanish: Aryna Sabalenka para niños