Aryna Sabalenka: A glimpse into the off‑court life of a tennis champion

Throughout the previous season, Aryna Sabalenka captivated the tennis scene, reaching new heights. She clinched the Australian Open Grand Slam victory early in the year.

Prior to her triumph in Melbourne, she also took the title in Adelaide. Later, she claimed victory at the tournament in Madrid, where she overcame Iga Świątek in the final. In addition, she reached the final of the US Open Grand Slam, as well as the semifinals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. On 11th September 2023, she overtook our Polish player in the global WTA ranking to take first place. However, Świątek reclaimed the top spot during the WTA Finals.

The Belarusian tennis player has kicked off the new season on a strong note. She successfully defended her title in Melbourne, putting her only 865 points behind the current leader, Świątek.

At present, Sabalenka is observing the competition from the sidelines as she has opted out of the WTA 1000 tournament in Doha, where Świątek is set to defend her title. Consequently, she's utilising her free time to show a more personal side of herself when she's away from the tennis court.

"Expectations vs. reality. Once a year, I can look beautiful," she captioned on her Instagram story, contrasting her casual appearance with her on-court look during matches.

However, this isn't the first time we've seen Sabalenka in a non-tennis setting. She has previously opted for full attire and makeup at ceremonies, such as before the start of last season's closing WTA Final tournament in Cancun, Mexico.