History of Aryna Sabalenka in Timeline
Aryna Sabalenka is a highly accomplished Belarusian professional tennis player, currently holding the world No. 1 ranking in women's singles. She is also a former world No. 1 in doubles. Sabalenka boasts an impressive record of 20 WTA Tour-level singles titles, highlighted by her three Grand Slam victories at the 2023 and 2024 Australian Open, and the 2024 US Open. Additionally, she has secured nine WTA 1000 titles. In doubles, Sabalenka has won six titles, including major wins at the 2019 US Open and 2021 Australian Open, partnering with Elise Mertens.
1978: Martina Navratilova
Martina Navratilova was ranked for 331 weeks in 1978.
1987: Martina Navratilova and Steffi Graf
Martina Navratilova was ranked for 331 weeks in 1987 and Steffi Graf was ranked for 377 weeks.
1995: Arantxa Sánchez Vicario
Arantxa Sánchez Vicario was ranked for 12 weeks in 1995.
1997: Steffi Graf and Martina Hingis
Steffi Graf was ranked for 377 weeks in 1997 and Martina Hingis was ranked for 209 weeks.
May 1998: Aryna Sabalenka Born
In May 1998, Aryna Siarhiejeŭna Sabalenka, a Belarusian professional tennis player, was born.
1998: Natasha Zvereva Reached Last Four of Wimbledon
In 1998, Natasha Zvereva reached the last four of Wimbledon.
1998: Lindsay Davenport
Lindsay Davenport was ranked for 98 weeks in 1998.
1999: Steffi Graf Defeated the Top 3 Players at Roland Garros
In 1999, Steffi Graf defeated the top 3 players at Roland Garros.
2001: Martina Hingis and Jennifer Capriati
Martina Hingis was ranked for 209 weeks in 2001 and Jennifer Capriati was ranked for 17 weeks.
2002: Serena Williams Defeated the Top 3 Players at Miami Open
In 2002, Serena Williams defeated the top 3 players at the Miami Open.
2002: Venus Williams and Serena Williams
Venus Williams was ranked for 11 weeks in 2002 and Serena Williams was ranked for 319 weeks.
2003: Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin
Kim Clijsters was ranked for 20 weeks in 2003 and Justine Henin was ranked for 117 weeks.
2006: Lindsay Davenport
Lindsay Davenport was ranked for 98 weeks in 2006.
2008: Venus Williams Defeated the Top 3 Players at WTA Finals
In 2008, Venus Williams defeated the top 3 players at the WTA Finals.
2008: Justine Henin, Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Janković
Justine Henin was ranked for 117 weeks in 2008, Ana Ivanovic was ranked for 12 weeks, and Jelena Janković was ranked for 18 weeks.
2009: Jelena Janković and Dinara Safina
Jelena Janković was ranked for 18 weeks in 2009 and Dinara Safina was ranked for 26 weeks.
2010: Caroline Wozniacki
Caroline Wozniacki was ranked for 71 weeks in 2010.
2011: Victoria Azarenka Reached Last Four of Wimbledon
In 2011, Victoria Azarenka reached the last four of Wimbledon.
2012: Began Playing on ITF Women's Circuit
In 2012, Aryna Sabalenka began playing on the ITF Women's Circuit, participating in tournaments in Minsk but not winning any main draw matches.
2012: Victoria Azarenka Reached Last Four of Wimbledon
In 2012, Victoria Azarenka reached the last four of Wimbledon.
2012: Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka
Maria Sharapova was ranked for 21 weeks in 2012 and Victoria Azarenka was ranked for 51 weeks.
2013: Victoria Azarenka defends Australian Open title
In 2013, Victoria Azarenka defended her Australian Open title, marking the last time a woman had successfully defended her title there until Aryna Sabalenka repeated the achievement later.
2013: Competed at Tallink Cup
In 2013, at the age of 15, Aryna Sabalenka competed in the main draw of the Grade-4 Tallink Cup in Estonia, marking her first ITF event.
2013: Victoria Azarenka
Victoria Azarenka was ranked for 51 weeks in 2013.
2014: Won First Professional Match
At the very end of 2014, Aryna Sabalenka won her first professional match in Istanbul.
2014: Began Training at National Tennis Academy
In 2014, Aryna Sabalenka began training at the National Tennis Academy in Minsk when it opened.
2014: Excelled at Grade 4 Events
In 2014, Aryna Sabalenka excelled at Grade 4 events, reaching her first singles final at the Estonian Junior Open in June and winning her first singles title at the MTV Total Junior Cup in Finland in October. At the end of the season, Sabalenka defended her Alatan Tour Cup doubles title, this time with compatriot Nika Shytkouskaya, and also won the singles title.
2014: Sabalenka at Junior Fed Cup
In 2014, Aryna Sabalenka represented Belarus at the Junior Fed Cup, with the team finishing in sixth place.
2015: Competed in European Junior Championships
In 2015, Aryna Sabalenka played in the European Junior Championships, her highest-level junior tournament, and lost in the second round to Markéta Vondroušová.
2015: Focused on Professional Events
In 2015, the Belarusian Tennis Federation persuaded Aryna Sabalenka and her team to focus on playing low-level professional events instead of junior tournaments.
2016: Fed Cup debut and First Top 200 Ranking
In 2016, Aryna Sabalenka made her Fed Cup debut, won two $50k titles, and entered the top 200 WTA rankings, finishing the year ranked No. 137.
2016: WTA Tour Debut and First Grand Slam Win
In 2016, Aryna Sabalenka played her first WTA Tour main draw at the Dubai Open, won her first WTA Tour match at Wimbledon, and defeated Lauren Davis at the Washington Open.
2016: Sabalenka reaches semifinals of all four major events
In 2016, Serena Williams was the last player to reach the semifinals of all four major events in one year, a feat that Sabalenka matched later on.
2017: Belarus's Fed Cup success
Belarus experienced Fed Cup success in 2017.
2017: Leads Belarus Fed Cup Team to Runner-Up Finish
In 2017, Aryna Sabalenka and Aliaksandra Sasnovich led the Belarus Fed Cup team to a runner-up finish.
2017: Played Exclusively on WTA Tour
In 2017, Aryna Sabalenka used her higher ranking to play exclusively on the WTA Tour.
2017: Sabalenka enjoys grass courts
In 2017, Sabalenka played on grass courts for the first time at Wimbledon and stated that she really liked it.
2017: Serena Williams, Karolína Plíšková, Garbiñe Muguruza and Simona Halep
Serena Williams was ranked for 319 weeks in 2017, Karolína Plíšková was ranked for 8 weeks, Garbiñe Muguruza was ranked for 4 weeks, and Simona Halep was ranked for 64 weeks.
2018: Finished the year with same ranking as in 2018
Although Sabalenka once again struggled at the Grand Slam tournaments, she ultimately finished the year with the same year-end ranking as in 2018 on the strength of three titles, all in China.
2018: Ranked No. 11 in the world
Aryna Sabalenka finished 2018 ranked No. 11 in the world in singles.
2018: Crowd mocks Sabalenka at Australian Open
At the Australian Open in 2018, the crowd mocked Sabalenka's loud grunting in a match against Ashleigh Barty.
2018: Sabalenka vs. Barty Rivalry
Between 2018 and 2022, Sabalenka and Ashleigh Barty met eight times, with the head-to-head finishing tied at 4–4.
2018: Caroline Wozniacki
Caroline Wozniacki was ranked for 71 weeks in 2018.
2018: Reached Two Quarterfinals and Won Matches at Premier Tournament
In 2018, Aryna Sabalenka reached two quarterfinals to begin the year and won her first matches at a Premier tournament at the Indian Wells Open.
2018: Sabalenka's Wuhan Open success
In 2018, Aryna Sabalenka won the Wuhan Open.
2018: Sabalenka in Ladies Open Lugano
In 2018, Sabalenka made both the singles and doubles finals at the Ladies Open Lugano on clay.
2018: Sabalenka's coaching changes
In early 2018, Sabalenka stopped working with Khalil Ibrahimov and began working with Magnus Norman and Magnus Tideman. Dmitry Tursunov became her primary coach for the grass court season in 2018.
2018: Sabalenka's Improvement with Tursunov
In the summer of 2018, coach Dmitry Tursunov credited Sabalenka's improvement to her developing better shot selection.
2019: Sabalenka splits with Tursunov
After the 2019 US Open, Sabalenka briefly split with Dmitry Tursunov before reuniting and then permanently splitting at the end of the season.
2019: Started Playing Doubles Regularly and Won Sunshine Double
In 2019, Aryna Sabalenka began playing doubles regularly and, with Elise Mertens, won the Sunshine Double (Indian Wells and Miami).
2019: Finished ranked No. 11 in the world
In 2019, Aryna Sabalenka finished the year ranked No. 11 in the world in singles.
2019: Sabalenka's Wuhan Open success
In 2019, Aryna Sabalenka won the Wuhan Open for the second consecutive year.
2019: Father Passed Away
In 2019, Aryna Sabalenka's father, Siarhiej, an ice hockey player, passed away.
2019: Wins 2019 US Open Doubles Title
In 2019, Aryna Sabalenka, partnering with Elise Mertens, won the US Open doubles title.
2019: Death of Sabalenka's father
In 2019, Sabalenka's father Sergey, a former ice hockey player, died suddenly at age 43 due to meningitis.
2019: Naomi Osaka and Ashleigh Barty
Naomi Osaka was ranked for 25 weeks in 2019 and Ashleigh Barty was ranked for 121 weeks.
2019: Sabalenka vs. Rybakina Rivalry Begins
Since 2019, Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina have met ten times, with Sabalenka leading the head-to-head at 6–4.
August 2020: Sabalenka comments on Belarusian protests
In August 2020, during the 2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Sabalenka criticized the government of Alexander Lukashenko for its dispersal of peaceful protests and called for no violence. She was later criticized for not advocating the protest movement's goals.
2020: Suspension of Wuhan Open due to COVID-19
From 2020, the Wuhan Open was suspended due to COVID-19.
2020: Sabalenka's Double Faults
In 2020, Aryna Sabalenka served 166 double faults, the most of any player that year.
2020: Sabalenka vs. Gauff Rivalry Begins
Since 2020, Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff have met ten times, with their head-to-head record tied at 5–5.
February 2021: Won Australian Open Doubles & Became World No. 1 in Doubles
In February 2021, Aryna Sabalenka won the Australian Open doubles competition with Elise Mertens, ascending to world No. 1 in the doubles rankings.
2021: Peaked at World No. 2 Ranking
Following two major singles semifinal appearances, Aryna Sabalenka peaked at the world No. 2 ranking in 2021.
2021: Sabalenka's Yips
From the 2021 WTA Finals and into 2022, Sabalenka suffered from the yips, serving 152 double faults in 11 matches, an average of 14 double faults a match.
2021: Wins 2021 Australian Open Doubles Title
In 2021, Aryna Sabalenka and Elise Mertens won the Australian Open doubles title.
2021: Won Abu Dhabi Open
In 2021, Aryna Sabalenka won the Abu Dhabi Open, extending her winning streak to 15 matches and reaching a new ranking of No. 7.
2021: Wins Madrid Open and Enters Top 5
In 2021, Aryna Sabalenka won the Madrid Open and entered the top 5 rankings in singles at world No. 4.
2021: Best run of the season
In 2021, Sabalenka made her best run of the season at the US Open.
2021: Sabalenka wins first clay court title
In 2021, Sabalenka won her first clay court title at the Madrid Open.
2021: Sabalenka comments on Belarusian protests
In August 2020, during the 2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Sabalenka criticized the government of Alexander Lukashenko for its dispersal of peaceful protests and called for no violence. She was later criticized for not advocating the protest movement's goals.
2021: Won her first title since Madrid 2021
Sabalenka entered Adelaide 1 as the second seed and in 2021 she defeated Czech teenage qualifier Linda Nosková to win her first title since Madrid 2021 and 11th career title without dropping a single set.
2021: Relationship with Konstantin Koltsov begins
Sabalenka had been in a relationship with Konstantin Koltsov since 2021.
2021: Sabalenka vs. Świątek rivalry begins
Since 2021, Sabalenka and Iga Świątek have played each other twelve times, with Świątek leading the head-to-head record at 8–4, their rivalry is considered to be one of the greatest in women's tennis.
2021: Became World No. 1 in Doubles
With the 2021 Australian Open doubles title, Aryna Sabalenka became the world No. 1 in doubles.
August 2022: Sabalenka's Second Serve Improvement
From August 2022, Sabalenka's second serve began to show improvements after working with a biomechanics expert following the 2022 Canadian Open.
2022: Ashleigh Barty and Iga Świątek
Ashleigh Barty was ranked for 121 weeks in 2022 and Iga Świątek was ranked for 125 weeks.
2022: Sabalenka vs. Barty Rivalry
Between 2018 and 2022, Sabalenka and Ashleigh Barty met eight times, with the head-to-head finishing tied at 4–4.
2022: Sabalenka comments on Russian invasion of Ukraine
Following the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Aryna Sabalenka voiced support for the Ukrainian people and displayed Ukraine-colored ribbons. During the year, Russian and Belarusian players were banned from the 2022 Wimbledon Championships.
2022: Reached Stuttgart Open Final and Other Semifinals
In 2022, Aryna Sabalenka reached the quarterfinals at the Qatar Ladies Open, the final at the Stuttgart Open, and the semifinals at the Italian Open, losing to Iga Świątek multiple times, also she lost in the third round to Camila Giorgi at the French Open.
2022: Struggled to maintain success
In 2022, Aryna Sabalenka struggled to consistently maintain her previous success.
2022: Early Season Struggles in Adelaide
In 2022, Aryna Sabalenka struggled with her serve at the Adelaide International 1 and 2, losing early in both tournaments.
January 2023: Sabalenka speaks on war and player bans
In January 2023, Aryna Sabalenka stated regarding the war and the banning of Russian and Belarusian players from the 2022 Wimbledon Championships, that it wasn't her fault. Her comments were criticized for lacking compassion. She also reiterated her hope for peace.
January 2023: Sabalenka appears in Break Point
On January 13, 2023, Aryna Sabalenka appeared in the tennis docuseries "Break Point", which premiered on Netflix.
2023: Sabalenka's Serving Prowess
In 2023, Aryna Sabalenka ranked third among all players in aces served, with a total of 401.
2023: Sabalenka's performance in Dubai, Indian Wells and Miami
In 2023, Aryna Sabalenka reached the quarterfinals in Dubai, losing to Barbora Krejčíková. At Indian Wells, she defeated Krejčíková, Coco Gauff, and Maria Sakkari, reaching the final but losing to Elena Rybakina. In Miami, Sabalenka reached the quarterfinals, losing to Sorana Cîrstea.
2023: Won first major singles title at the Australian Open
In 2023, Aryna Sabalenka won her first major singles title at the Australian Open and obtained the world No. 1 ranking, being named the ITF World Champion for the season.
2023: Wins 2023 Australian Open
In 2023, Aryna Sabalenka won the Australian Open, marking her first major singles title.
2023: Nike Custom Garments for Sabalenka
In 2023, Nike began to design custom garments for Sabalenka, starting from the US Open.
2023: Sabalenka vs. Gauff at US Open
In 2023, Sabalenka lost to Gauff at the US Open final despite winning the first set.
2023: Sabalenka wins against Swiatek in Madrid Open final
In 2023, Sabalenka won against Świątek in the Madrid Open final, claiming her second Madrid title.
2023: Suspension of Wuhan Open due to COVID-19
The Wuhan Open tournament was suspended due to COVID-19 from 2020 until 2023.
March 2024: Death of Konstantin Koltsov
In March 2024, Sabalenka's boyfriend Konstantin Koltsov died of an apparent suicide at age 42. Sabalenka confirmed they were separated at the time of his death.
2024: Sabalenka's coaching team
As of 2024, Aryna Sabalenka's coaching team includes Anton Dubrov, fitness trainer Jason Stacy, and hitting partner Andrei Vasilevski.
2024: Wins 2024 Australian Open and 2024 US Open
In 2024, Aryna Sabalenka secured victories at both the Australian Open and the US Open, adding two more major titles to her collection.
2024: Świątek defeats Sabalenka in Madrid Open final
In 2024, Iga Świątek defeated defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in the Madrid Open final in three sets.
2024: Sabalenka defeats Gauff at Australian Open
In 2024, Sabalenka defeated Gauff at the Australian Open.
2024: Injury and Cincinnati Open Win
In 2024, Sabalenka suffered a right shoulder injury, forcing her to retire at the Berlin Ladies Open and withdraw from Wimbledon. Later in August 2024, she won the Cincinnati Open, defeating Iga Świątek and Jessica Pegula.
2024: Sabalenka wins the Wuhan Open
In 2024, Sabalenka won her third Wuhan Open title by defeating Zheng Qinwen.
2025: Sabalenka wins the Brisbane International
In 2025, Sabalenka started the year by winning the Brisbane International, securing her 18th singles title.
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