History of Aryna Sabalenka in Timeline

Aryna Sabalenka is a highly accomplished Belarusian professional tennis player. Currently ranked world No. 1 in women's singles by the WTA, she also previously held the world No. 1 position in doubles. Sabalenka's impressive career includes 21 WTA Tour-level singles titles, highlighted by four Grand Slam victories: two at the Australian Open and two at the US Open. Furthermore, she has secured nine WTA 1000 titles. In doubles, she boasts six titles, including the 2019 US Open and the 2021 Australian Open, both won in partnership with Elise Mertens.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

May 1998: Aryna Sabalenka's Birth

In May 1998, Aryna Siarhiejeŭna Sabalenka was born. She is a Belarusian professional tennis player.

Others born on this day/year

1998: Natasha Zvereva's Wimbledon Semifinal

In 1998, Natasha Zvereva reached the semifinals of Wimbledon, a feat that Aryna Sabalenka would later match.

1999: Steffi Graf's Performance at the French Open

In 1999, Steffi Graf defeated the top 3 players at the French Open.

2002: Serena Williams' Performance at the Miami Open

In 2002, Serena Williams defeated the top 3 players at the Miami Open.

2008: Venus Williams' Performance at the WTA Finals

In 2008, Venus Williams defeated the top 3 players at the WTA Finals.

2011: Victoria Azarenka's Wimbledon Semifinal

In 2011, Victoria Azarenka reached the semifinals of Wimbledon, a feat that Aryna Sabalenka would later match.

2012: Began Playing on ITF Women's Circuit

In 2012, Aryna Sabalenka began playing on the ITF Women's Circuit.

2012: Victoria Azarenka's Wimbledon Semifinal

In 2012, Victoria Azarenka reached the semifinals of Wimbledon for the second consecutive year, a feat that Aryna Sabalenka would later match.

2013: First ITF Event and Doubles Title

In 2013, Aryna Sabalenka competed in her first ITF event. She won her first ITF title in doubles at the lowest-level Grade-5 Alatan Tour Cup in Belarus with Vera Lapko.

2013: Victoria Azarenka Wins Australian Open

In 2013, Victoria Azarenka won the Australian Open, marking the last time a woman successfully defended her title there before Sabalenka achieved the same feat.

2014: First Professional Match Win

At the very end of 2014, Aryna Sabalenka won her first professional match in Istanbul.

2014: Started Training at National Tennis Academy

In 2014, Aryna Sabalenka began training at the National Tennis Academy in Minsk when it opened.

2014: Success 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. She also defended her Alatan Tour Cup doubles title with Nika Shytkouskaya and won the singles title.

2014: Junior Fed Cup

In 2014, Sabalenka represented Belarus at the Junior Fed Cup, with the team finishing in sixth place.

2014: Serena Williams' US Open Title

In 2014, Serena Williams won the US Open. She was the last singles player to defend a US Open title before Sabalenka did so in 2024.

2015: European Junior Championships

In 2015, Aryna Sabalenka participated in the European Junior Championships, losing in the second round to Markéta Vondroušová.

2015: Focus 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.

April 2016: Senior Fed Cup Debut

In April 2016, Sabalenka made her senior Fed Cup debut for Belarus, losing a doubles match against Russia. The Belarusian team still won to qualify for the World Group.

2016: Fed Cup Debut and Top 200 Ranking

In 2016, Aryna Sabalenka made her Fed Cup debut in April, losing her only match. She also won two $50k titles, with the first in Tianjin putting her into the top 200 in May, and the second in Toyota helping her finish the year ranked at No. 137 in the world.

2016: WTA Tour Debut and First Win

In 2016, Aryna Sabalenka played in her first WTA Tour main draw in February at the Dubai Open but didn't win her first WTA Tour match until Wimbledon in July. She also achieved a win at the Washington Open over Lauren Davis.

2016: Reaching Semifinals of All Four Major Events

In 2016, Sabalenka became the first player since Serena Williams to reach the semifinals of all four major tennis events in a single year, marking a significant milestone in her career.

2017: Fed Cup Runner-Up Finish

In 2017, Aryna Sabalenka, together with Aliaksandra Sasnovich, led the Belarus Fed Cup team to a runner-up finish.

2017: Belarus Fed Cup Success

In 2017, Belarus had Fed Cup success.

2017: First Time on Grass Courts

In 2017, Sabalenka played on grass courts for the first time during Wimbledon and enjoyed it.

2017: Transition to WTA Tour

In 2017, after playing relatively few WTA events, Aryna Sabalenka used her higher ranking to play exclusively on the WTA Tour.

2018: Year-End Ranking

Although Sabalenka struggled at the Grand Slam tournaments, she ultimately finished the year 2018 with the same year-end ranking as in 2018.

2018: Mocked at Australian Open

At the Australian Open in 2018, the crowd mocked Sabalenka's grunting habit in a match against Ashleigh Barty.

2018: Australian Open and Indian Wells Open

In 2018, Aryna Sabalenka reached two quarterfinals but lost her opening-round match at the Australian Open. She achieved a third-round appearance at the Indian Wells Open.

2018: Fed Cup Quarterfinal Loss

In 2018, Belarus lost their Fed Cup quarterfinal tie against Germany, despite Sabalenka winning both of her singles rubbers.

2018: Ladies Open Lugano Finals

In 2018, Sabalenka made both the singles and doubles finals at the Ladies Open Lugano on clay.

2018: Wuhan Open Win

In 2018, Sabalenka won the Wuhan Open.

2018: Improvement in Shot Selection

In the summer of 2018, Sabalenka's coach Dmitry Tursunov credited her improvement to developing better shot selection.

2019: Year-End Ranking No. 11

At the end of 2019, Aryna Sabalenka finished the year ranked No. 11 in the world in singles.

2019: Sunshine Double and US Open Doubles Title

In 2019, Aryna Sabalenka began playing doubles regularly. With Elise Mertens as her partner, she won the Sunshine Double (Indian Wells and Miami). After the US Open doubles title later in the season, she qualified for the WTA Finals for the first time.

2019: US Open Doubles Title

In 2019, Aryna Sabalenka won the US Open doubles title partnering with Elise Mertens.

2019: Death of Sabalenka's father

In 2019, Aryna Sabalenka's father, Sergey, who was a former ice hockey player, passed away suddenly at the age of 43 due to meningitis.

2019: Death of Father, Sergey

In 2019, Aryna Sabalenka's father, Sergey, who was an ice hockey player, passed away.

2019: Belarus Stays in World Group

In 2019, Belarus secured their place in the Fed Cup World Group after defeating Slovakia in the play-offs.

2019: Coaching Changes

In 2019, Sabalenka briefly split with Dmitry Tursunov after the US Open, then reunited later in the year, but made the split permanent at the end of the season.

2019: Fed Cup Semi-Finals

In 2019, Sabalenka helped Belarus reach the Fed Cup semi-finals, where they were eliminated by Australia.

2019: Wuhan Open Win

In 2019, Sabalenka won the Wuhan Open.

2019: Sabalenka vs. Rybakina Rivalry Begins

Since 2019, Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina have met 13 times, with Sabalenka leading the head-to-head at 8–5.

August 2020: Criticism of the Belarusian Government

In August 2020, amidst the 2020-2021 Belarusian protests, Aryna Sabalenka criticized the government of Alexander Lukashenko for its handling of peaceful protests, urging for non-violence. However, she faced criticism from the Belarusian opposition for not actively promoting the protest movement's objectives.

2020: Tournament Suspension

From 2020 until 2023, the Wuhan Open was suspended due to COVID-19.

2020: Most Double Faults

In 2020, Sabalenka served 166 double faults, the most of any player.

2020: Sabalenka vs. Gauff Rivalry Begins

Since 2020, Sabalenka and Coco Gauff have met 12 times, with their head-to-head record tied at 6–6.

February 2021: Ascension to World No. 1 in Doubles

In February 2021, Aryna Sabalenka ascended to world No. 1 in the doubles rankings for the first time in her career after winning the doubles competition with Elise Mertens at the Australian Open.

2021: Madrid 2021 Title

Aryna Sabalenka won her first title since Madrid 2021.

2021: Suffering from the Yips

From the 2021 WTA Finals and into 2022, Sabalenka notably suffered from the yips, serving an average of 14 double faults a match.

2021: US Open Semifinal

In 2021, Aryna Sabalenka made her best run of the season at the US Open. Seeded sixth, she reached the semifinals, matching her previous best result from 2021. In the semifinals, she was defeated by Iga Świątek.

2021: Relationship with Konstantin Koltsov

In 2021, Aryna Sabalenka started dating Konstantin Koltsov. Koltsov passed away in March 2024.

2021: Australian Open Doubles Title

In 2021, Aryna Sabalenka won the Australian Open doubles title partnering with Elise Mertens.

2021: Abu Dhabi Open Victory

In 2021, Aryna Sabalenka won the title at the Abu Dhabi Open, defeating Veronika Kudermetova in the final and extending her winning streak to 15 matches. This victory propelled her to a new ranking of No. 7.

2021: Madrid Open Title and Top 5 Ranking

In 2021, Aryna Sabalenka won the title at the Madrid Open, defeating Ashleigh Barty in the championship match. As a result of her fourth WTA 1000 title, she entered the top 5 rankings in singles at world No. 4.

2021: First Clay Court Title

In 2021, Sabalenka won her first clay court title at the Madrid Open.

2021: Rise to World No. 2 Ranking

In 2021, following two major singles semifinal appearances, Aryna Sabalenka rose to the world No. 2 ranking.

2021: Belarusian Protests continue

In 2021, the Belarusian Protests continued, and Aryna Sabalenka was criticised for not using her platform to advocate the protest movement's goals.

2021: Sabalenka vs. Świątek Rivalry Begins

Since 2021, Sabalenka and Iga Świątek have developed a prominent rivalry, meeting 13 times with Świątek leading the head-to-head at 8–5.

2021: World No. 1 in Doubles

With the 2021 Australian Open doubles title, Aryna Sabalenka became the world No. 1 in the discipline. After that, she shifted to playing exclusively singles.

August 2022: Second Serve Improvement

Starting in August 2022, Sabalenka's second serve began to show improvements after working with a biomechanics expert.

2022: Adelaide International Performance

In 2022, Aryna Sabalenka began her season at the Adelaide International 1 as the second seed. She lost in the second round to Kaja Juvan. At the Adelaide International 2, she lost her first round to Rebecca Peterson.

2022: 2022 Season Performance

In 2022, Aryna Sabalenka reached the quarterfinals at the Qatar Ladies Open. She reached her first final of 2022 at the Stuttgart Open, losing to Iga Świątek. She was knocked out early at the Madrid Open. She lost to Świątek again at the Italian Open and lost in the third round at the French Open.

2022: Struggle to Maintain Success

In 2022, Aryna Sabalenka struggled to consistently maintain the success she had previously achieved.

2022: Banning of Russian and Belarusian players from Wimbledon

In 2022, Russian and Belarusian players were banned from the Wimbledon Championships. In January 2023, Sabalenka said, "I just understand that it's not my fault."

January 2023: Comments on the Russian Invasion of Ukraine

In January 2023, Aryna Sabalenka commented on the war in Ukraine and the ban on Russian and Belarusian players from the 2022 Wimbledon Championships, stating, "I just understand that it's not my fault." Her remarks were criticized by figures like Nikita Vlasov and Sergiy Stakhovsky for lacking depth and empathy.

January 2023: Appearance in Break Point

On January 13, 2023, Aryna Sabalenka appeared in the tennis docuseries "Break Point," which premiered on Netflix.

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2023: Aryna Sabalenka

Aryna Sabalenka was ranked as one of the top players in 2023.

2023: Comments on the War in Ukraine

During a press conference at the 2023 French Open, Aryna Sabalenka, when questioned about the war by a Ukrainian journalist, stated that no Russian or Belarusian athletes support the war and that she does not support Lukashenko.

2023: Tournament Suspension

From 2020 until 2023, the Wuhan Open was suspended due to COVID-19.

2023: First Major Singles Title and World No. 1 Ranking

In 2023, Aryna Sabalenka won her first major singles title at the Australian Open. She also obtained the world No. 1 ranking and was named the ITF World Champion for the season.

2023: Australian Open Win

In 2023, Sabalenka defeated Rybakina in three sets at the Australian Open final to win her first Grand Slam title.

2023: US Open Final Loss

In 2023, Sabalenka lost to Gauff in the US Open final despite winning the first set.

2023: Ranking Third in Aces Served

In 2023, Sabalenka ranked third among all players in aces served, totaling 401.

2023: Madrid Open Victory

In 2023, Sabalenka won the Madrid Open, defeating Iga Świątek in three sets to claim her second Madrid title.

2023: Nike Designs Custom Garments

Nike began to design custom garments for Sabalenka starting from the 2023 US Open.

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March 2024: Death of Konstantin Koltsov

In March 2024, Aryna Sabalenka's boyfriend since 2021, Konstantin Koltsov, passed away from an apparent suicide at the age of 42. Sabalenka confirmed that the couple had separated at the time of his death.

2024: Madrid Open Final

In 2024, Iga Świątek defeated Sabalenka in the Madrid Open final in three sets.

2024: Australian Open Semifinal Victory

In 2024, Sabalenka defeated Gauff at the Australian Open semifinals on her way to defending the title.

2024: US Open Title Defense

In 2024, Sabalenka won her second consecutive US Open title by defeating Amanda Anisimova in the final, marking her fourth major title overall.

2024: Third Wuhan Open Title

In 2024, Sabalenka won her third Wuhan Open title, defeating Zheng Qinwen in the final and securing her second WTA 1000 title of the season.

2024: Cincinnati Open Victory

In 2024, Sabalenka won the Cincinnati Open, defeating Iga Świątek in the semifinals and Jessica Pegula in the final.

June 2025: Becomes global ambassador of IM8

In June 2025, Aryna Sabalenka became a global ambassador and minority shareholder of IM8, a health-supplement brand co-founded by former footballer David Beckham.

2025: Aryna Sabalenka

Aryna Sabalenka was ranked as one of the top players in 2025.

2025: Coaching Team

As of 2025, Sabalenka's coaching team includes Dubrov, Mirnyi, fitness trainer Jason Stacy, and hitting partner Andrei Vasilevski.

2025: Defended Australian Open Title

In 2025, Aryna Sabalenka successfully defended her Australian Open title and won the US Open. She also clinched the year-end No. 1 ranking and became one of only seven women to hold the No. 1 ranking for an entire calendar year.

2025: Max Mirnyi Joins Coaching Team

In 2025, Belarusian former professional tennis player and 10-time major doubles champion Max Mirnyi joined Sabalenka's coaching team as a consultant.

2025: Cincinnati Open and Wuhan Open Quarterfinals

In 2025, Rybakina won their match in the Cincinnati Open quarterfinals, and Sabalenka won their most recent match at the Wuhan Open quarterfinals.

2025: 2025 French Open Final

In 2025, Sabalenka and Gauff faced off again in the final of the French Open, with Gauff overtaking Sabalenka for her first French Open Major Championship win and second Grand Slam overall. Sabalenka would avenge that loss by knocking Gauff out of the 2025 WTA Finals where Gauff was the defending champion.