Belarusian tennis player Aryna Sabalenka was ranked as the top player in both singles and doubles by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) in 2023. She has achieved this status by winning two Australian Open singles titles in 2023 and 2024, as well as two major doubles titles with Elise Mertens at the 2019 US Open and the 2021 Australian Open.
Aryna Sabalenka Bio Summary
Full name: Aryna Siarhiejeuna Sabalenka
Date of birth: May 5, 1998
Age: 26 years old (2024)
Nationality: Belarusian
Place of birth: Minsk, Belarus
Height: 5 ft 11 in (1.82 m)
Weight: 80 kg
Current world rank: 2
Coach: Anton Dubrov
Father’s name: Sergey Sabalenka
Mother’s name: Yulia Sabalenka
Profession: Professional Tennis Player
Early Life & Family
Aryna Sabalenka was born on May 5, 1998, in Minsk, the capital city of Belarus. Her father, Sergey, who passed away in 2019, was a professional ice hockey player. Sabalenka’s introduction to tennis was a stroke of luck. She elaborated,
“One day, my dad was just driving me somewhere in the car, and on the way he saw tennis courts. So he took me to the courts. I really liked it and enjoyed it and that’s how it was. That’s how it started.“
In 2014, she began her training at the National Tennis Academy in Minsk. However, in 2015, the Belarusian Tennis Federation persuaded Aryna Sabalenka and her team to prioritize participating in lower-level professional tournaments instead of junior competitions, even though she was still eligible to compete at the junior level.
Sergey and Yuliya Sabalenka brought up their two children in the capital city. Sadly, Aryna’s father passed away in 2019 when he was 44 years old.
Sergey, who used to be a hockey goalie, was the one who introduced her to tennis. He played for various teams during his professional career. Despite being initially influenced by her father’s involvement in ice hockey, Aryna eventually found her true calling in tennis.
Aryna’s sporting career has been greatly encouraged by her mother, Yulia Sabalenka, who has been a strong source of support. Aryna recognizes the impact her parents have had on her life and shares a special bond with her mother, Yulia.
Career
Aryna Sabalenka entered the U14 and U16 tournaments on the ITF Junior Circuit. Before 2013, when she was 15, she had not yet participated in the main draw of an ITF event.
This changed when she competed in the Grade-4 Tallink Cup in Estonia. Sabalenka had no prior experience in junior Grand Slam tournaments or other high-level Grade-A or Grade-1 competitions.
Despite not receiving high points from major tournaments, the Belarusian reached her highest career ranking of 225. Aryna Sabalenka claimed her first ITF doubles title at the Grade-5 Alatan Tour Cup in her home country in late 2013 with her fellow Belarusian Vera Lapko.
In 2014, she achieved success in Grade 4 tournaments. In June, she reached her first singles final at the Estonian Junior Open. Then, in October, she won her first singles title at the MTV Total Junior Cup in Finland. Sabalenka later competed in the senior WTA Tour in 2016 and finished the year ranked 158th.
In 2018, she stepped up her efforts and claimed her first Masters title, boosting her ranking to 11. By February 2019, she had risen to rank 9, but her position would fluctuate before finishing the year back at 11.
Aryna Sabalenka’s success in the 2020 Qatar Open marked her first win in the tournament and helped her reach a ranking of 10 by the end of the year. However, her performance in 2021 surpassed even that, as she achieved a top 5 ranking.
By reaching two semifinals in grand slam tournaments and securing one Masters title, she could finish the year ranked 2nd. However, her rankings dropped in 2022 due to her failure to win any major titles, resulting in her ending the year ranked 5th.
Nonetheless, 2023 proved to be a more successful year for her, as she claimed her first Grand Slam victory at the start of the year.
In addition, she reached the semifinals in two matches and competed in the US Open finals against Coco Gauff. Aryna Sabalenka rose to the top ranking after the tournament but later dropped to second place in the following months and finished the year as the runner-up once again.
She began her 2024 season with a victory at the Australian Open and easily defeated her opponents. She joined the small group of women who had won the first major tournament of the year without losing a single set.
Personal Life
Aryna Sabalenka and Konstantin Koltsov share a loving bond as a couple. Koltsov, a former Belarusian Ice Hockey player, had a successful 18-year career in the sport, representing his country in the IIHF World Championships and the Winter Olympics in 2002 and 2010. He also briefly played for the Pittsburgh Penguins in the NHL.
Sabalenka and Koltsov went public with their relationship on Instagram in June 2021. On June 19, she uploaded a picture of Koltsov kissing her on the cheek as she smiled at the camera.
The couple traveled to Rome, Italy in May 2022 and Aryna Sabalenka shared multiple photos on Instagram of them posing in front of iconic landmarks like the Colosseum and the Trevi Fountain. They also indulged in gelato together during their vacation. However, Kolstov passed away on March 18, 2024, at the age of 42.
Net Worth
As of January 2024, Aryna Sabalenka’s estimated net worth is $20 million, with over $20.5 million in prize money earned from her successful tennis career. In addition, Sabalenka has secured lucrative brand partnerships throughout her career.
