Aryna Sabalenka recently shared photos of the tiger-themed gifts she received at the China Open. The Belarusian also posted a heartwarming picture with her boyfriend, Georgios Frangulis, who accompanied her to the WTA 1000 event.
After a triumphant run at the 2024 US Open, defeating Jessica Pegula in the final, Sabalenka set her sights on the Asian hard-court swing. She delivered strong performances at the China Open, defeating Mananchaya Sawangkaew, Ashlyn Krueger, and Madison Keys and advancing to the quarterfinals.
However, the World No. 2 couldn’t carry her momentum into the quarterfinals against eventual finalist Karolina Muchova. Sabalenka fell in a hard-fought match, losing 6-7(7), 6-2, 4-6, marking her exit from the WTA 1000 event. Muchova then advanced to the finals, defeating home favorite Zheng Qinwen in the semifinals, setting up a showdown with Coco Gauff.
However, Sabalenka cherished her time in the Chinese capital, where she received tiger-themed gifts, including soft toys and a headband. She shared the glimpses in a multi-slide Instagram post, which also featured her boyfriend, Georgios Frangulis.
“Thank you @chinaopen – motivated to come back even stronger next time. Thank you for all the support,” Sabalenka wrote in the captions.
Aryna Sabalenka began dating Frangulis earlier this year. Frangulis, a Brazilian entrepreneur, is the founder of Oakberry, a company specializing in harvesting acai berries.
“He was my biggest support”: Aryna Sabalenka on Georgios Frangulis
2024 China Open – Day 2 – Source: Getty
2024 China Open – Day 2 – Source: Getty
Aryna Sabalenka recently spoke with People, expressing her devastation over the death of her ex-boyfriend, Konstantin Koltsov, in March. However, the Belarusian also noted that she found comfort in having her current boyfriend by her side during this challenging period.
“There was a really tough period where I was really happy to have him by my side, always cheering me up, always making sure that we are doing some fun stuff. But I make sure I kind of forget about tennis and focus on the good things and enjoy my life. Even when things are going wrong in my career. So yeah, he was my biggest support and yeah, really happy to have him by my side,” Sabalenka said.
Sabalenka has had a successful season, boasting a record of 46-11. Her victory at the 2024 US Open marked her third title of the year. Additionally, this win made her the first player to secure both hard-court Grand Slam titles since Angelique Kerber in 2016, having previously triumphed at the Australian Open earlier in January.
Sabalenka will now shift her focus to the Wuhan Open and start her campaign there on Tuesday, 8 October.