History of Aryna Sabalenka in Timeline

Aryna Sabalenka is a highly accomplished Belarusian professional tennis player currently ranked world No. 1 in singles by the WTA. A former world No. 1 in doubles, she boasts 18 WTA Tour-level singles titles, including major wins at the 2023 and 2024 Australian Open, and the 2024 US Open. In doubles, she has secured six titles, highlighted by major victories at the 2019 US Open and the 2021 Australian Open, partnering with Elise Mertens. Sabalenka is known for her aggressive playing style and powerful groundstrokes.

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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 professional tennis player from Belarus.

Others born on this day/year

1998: Natasha Zvereva Reached Wimbledon Semifinals

In 1998, Natasha Zvereva reached the semifinals of Wimbledon, marking a milestone for Belarusian women in tennis.

1999: Steffi Graf Defeats Top 3 at Roland Garros

In 1999, Steffi Graf defeated the top 3 players at the same tournament (Roland Garros).

2002: Serena Williams Defeats Top 3 at Miami Open

In 2002, Serena Williams defeated the top 3 players at the same tournament (Miami Open).

2008: Venus Williams Defeats Top 3 at WTA Finals

In 2008, Venus Williams defeated the top 3 players at the same tournament (WTA Finals).

2011: Victoria Azarenka Reached Wimbledon Semifinals

In 2011, Victoria Azarenka reached the semifinals of Wimbledon, contributing to the history of Belarusian women in tennis at the tournament.

2012: Start on ITF Women's Circuit

In 2012, Aryna Sabalenka began playing on the ITF Women's Circuit, competing in tournaments in Minsk.

2012: Victoria Azarenka Reached Wimbledon Semifinals Again

In 2012, Victoria Azarenka reached the semifinals of Wimbledon for the second consecutive year, highlighting Belarusian success at the tournament.

2013: Victoria Azarenka Defended Title

In 2013, Victoria Azarenka defended her title.

2013: First ITF Event and Doubles Title

In 2013, at the age of 15, Aryna Sabalenka competed in her first ITF event at the Tallink Cup in Estonia. She also won her first ITF doubles title at the Alatan Tour Cup in Belarus with Vera Lapko.

2014: First Professional Match Win

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

2014: Training at National Tennis Academy

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

2014: Success in Grade 4 Events

In 2014, Aryna Sabalenka excelled at Grade 4 events, reaching her first singles final at the Estonian Junior Open and winning her first singles title at the MTV Total Junior Cup in Finland. She also defended her Alatan Tour Cup doubles title and won the singles title.

2014: Junior Fed Cup

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

2015: European Junior Championships

In 2015, Aryna Sabalenka played in the European Junior Championships, her highest-level junior tournament, where she lost 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, Aryna Sabalenka made her senior Fed Cup debut for Belarus, losing a dead rubber doubles match against Russia.

2016: Matches with Donna Vekić

Aryna Sabalenka and Donna Vekić have met eight times since 2016, with Vekić in control of the head-to-head at 6–2.

2016: Fed Cup Debut and Top 200 Ranking

In 2016, Aryna Sabalenka made her Fed Cup debut. She won two $50k titles, entering the top 200 in May and finishing the year ranked No. 137 in the world.

2016: WTA Tour Debut and First Win

In 2016, Aryna Sabalenka played in her first WTA Tour main draw at the Dubai Open and won her first WTA Tour match at Wimbledon. She also won at the Washington Open against Lauren Davis.

2016: Serena Williams Major Semifinals

In 2016, Serena Williams was the last player to reach the semifinals of all four major events in one year.

2017: Fed Cup Success

Belarus was unable to repeat their 2017 Fed Cup success in 2018.

2017: Fed Cup Runner-Up Finish

In 2017, Aryna Sabalenka and Aliaksandra Sasnovich led the Belarus Fed Cup team to a runner-up finish, despite being ranked outside the top 75.

2017: First Time Playing on Grass Courts

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

2017: Transition to WTA Tour

In 2017, Aryna Sabalenka played relatively few WTA events, preparing to play exclusively on the WTA Tour in 2018.

2018: Matches with Ashleigh Barty

Aryna Sabalenka and Ashleigh Barty met eight times between 2018 and 2022, with the head-to-head finishing tied at 4–4.

2018: Wuhan Open Victories

Aryna Sabalenka won the Wuhan Open back-to-back in 2018 and 2019, before the tournament was suspended due to COVID-19 from 2020 until 2023. In 2018 Sabalenka won the Wuhan Open.

2018: Crowd Mocking at Australian Open

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

2018: Year-End Ranking No. 11

At the end of 2018, Aryna Sabalenka finished the year ranked No. 11 in the world in singles.

2018: Ladies Open Lugano

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

2018: First Premier Tournament Matches

In 2018, Aryna Sabalenka reached two quarterfinals at the start of the year and won her first matches at a Premier tournament at the Indian Wells Open.

2018: Fed Cup Quarterfinal Loss

In 2018, Belarus faced Germany in the Fed Cup quarterfinal in Minsk. Despite Aryna Sabalenka winning both of her singles matches, the team lost the decisive doubles match, resulting in a loss for Belarus.

2018: Coaching Changes

In early 2018, Aryna Sabalenka stopped working with Khalil Ibrahimov after two years. She then worked with Magnus Norman and Magnus Tideman. Dmitry Tursunov became her primary coach in time for the grass court season in 2018.

2018: Improvement in Shot Selection

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

2019: Matches with Elena Rybakina

Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina have met ten times since 2019, with Sabalenka in control of the head-to-head at 6–4.

2019: Wuhan Open Title

Aryna Sabalenka won the Wuhan Open back-to-back in 2018 and 2019, before the tournament was suspended due to COVID-19 from 2020 until 2023. In 2019 Sabalenka won the Wuhan Open.

2019: Coaching Changes

Dmitry Tursunov briefly became her primary coach in time for the grass court season in 2018. Sabalenka briefly split with Tursunov after the 2019 US Open. Although they reunited later in the year, she made the split permanent at the end of the season.

2019: Sunshine Double and US Open Doubles Title

In 2019, Aryna Sabalenka began playing doubles regularly, winning the Sunshine Double (Indian Wells and Miami) with Elise Mertens. She also won the US Open doubles title and qualified for the WTA Finals.

2019: Year-End Ranking No. 11 Again

In 2019, Aryna Sabalenka finished the year ranked No. 11 in the world in singles for the second consecutive year.

2019: Fed Cup World Group Play-offs

In 2019, Belarus competed against Slovakia in the Fed Cup World Group play-offs in Minsk. Sabalenka and Sasnovich split their singles rubbers, but Belarus remained in the World Group for 2019 after Lapko and Marozava won the decisive doubles match.

2019: Fed Cup Semifinal Loss

In the 2019 Fed Cup, Belarus faced Australia in the semifinals. Despite Sabalenka and Azarenka defeating Stosur, they lost to Barty, and Belarus was eliminated after losing the decisive doubles rubber.

August 2020: Criticism of Belarusian Government and Call for No Violence

In August 2020, during the Belarusian protests, Aryna Sabalenka criticized Alexander Lukashenko's government for dispersing peaceful protests and advocated for non-violence. However, she faced criticism from the Belarusian opposition for not leveraging her platform to support the protest movement's objectives.

2020: Matches with Coco Gauff

Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff have met nine times since 2020, with Gauff leading the head-to-head at 5–4.

2020: Wuhan Open Suspension

Aryna Sabalenka won the Wuhan Open back-to-back in 2018 and 2019, before the tournament was suspended due to COVID-19 from 2020 until 2023.

February 2021: Australian Open Doubles Title and World No. 1 Ranking

In February 2021, Aryna Sabalenka won the doubles competition at the Australian Open with Elise Mertens. As a result, she ascended to world No. 1 in the doubles rankings for the first time in her career on February 22, 2021.

2021: Matches with Iga Świątek Begin

Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Świątek have met twelve times since 2021, with Świątek in control of the head-to-head at 8–4.

2021: Madrid Open Title

Aryna Sabalenka won her first title since Madrid 2021 and 11th career title without dropping a single set.

2021: US Open Semifinals

Aryna Sabalenka, seeded sixth, made her best run of the season at the 2021 US Open. Sabalenka lost in the semifinals to Iga Świątek.

2021: Peak Ranking at World No. 2

Following two major singles semifinal appearances, Aryna Sabalenka peaked at the world No. 2 ranking in 2021.

2021: First Clay Court Title

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

2021: Australian Open Doubles Title and World No. 1 Ranking

In 2021, Aryna Sabalenka won the Australian Open doubles title with Elise Mertens, becoming the world No. 1 in doubles. After this victory, she shifted her focus to playing exclusively singles.

2021: Australian Open Doubles Title

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

2021: Madrid Open Title and Top 5 Ranking

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

2021: Relationship with Konstantin Koltsov

Since 2021, Aryna Sabalenka was in a relationship with Konstantin Koltsov. He died in March 2024.

August 2022: Second Serve Improvements

From August 2022, Aryna Sabalenka's second serve began to show improvements, having worked with a biomechanics expert following the 2022 Canadian Open.

2022: Early Season Struggles

In 2022, Aryna Sabalenka began her season at the Adelaide International 1 and 2, experiencing early losses and struggling with her serve, recording numerous double faults.

2022: Qatar Open Quarterfinals and Stuttgart Final

In 2022, Aryna Sabalenka reached the quarterfinals at the Qatar Open and her first final of the year at the Women's Stuttgart Open, losing to Iga Świątek in both instances. She also had early exits in other tournaments.

2022: Struggles with Consistency

In 2022, Aryna Sabalenka struggled to maintain the same level of success she had previously achieved.

2022: Loss to Jasmine Paolini at Indian Wells Open

In 2022, Jasmine Paolini upset Aryna Sabalenka at the Indian Wells Open with a score of 2–6, 6–3, 6–3.

January 2023: Comments on War in Ukraine and Player Ban

In January 2023, Aryna Sabalenka addressed 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 compassion and substance regarding the situation of Ukrainian tennis players.

January 2023: Appearance in Netflix's Break Point

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

2023: 2023 US Open final

Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff played in the 2023 US Open final. Sabalenka lost that match despite winning the first set.

2023: Wuhan Open Tournament Suspension

Aryna Sabalenka won the Wuhan Open back-to-back in 2018 and 2019, before the tournament was suspended due to COVID-19 from 2020 until 2023.

2023: Aryna Sabalenka's Weeks at Number One Ranking

In 2023 Aryna Sabalenka was ranked number one for 9 weeks.

2023: US Open Final Loss to Coco Gauff

In 2023, Aryna Sabalenka faced Coco Gauff in the US Open final, where Gauff won in three sets.

2023: Ranking Third in Aces Served

In 2023, Aryna Sabalenka ranked third of all players in aces served, with a total of 401 aces.

2023: Australian Open Win and World No. 1 Ranking

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: Australian Open Win

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

2023: Custom Garments by Nike

Starting from the 2023 US Open, Nike began to design custom garments for Aryna Sabalenka.

March 2024: Death of Konstantin Koltsov

In March 2024, Aryna Sabalenka's boyfriend, Konstantin Koltsov, died of an apparent suicide at age 42. Sabalenka later confirmed the couple were separated at the time of his death.

2024: Sabalenka Defeats Gauff at Australian Open

Aryna Sabalenka defeated Coco Gauff at the 2024 Australian Open.

2024: Wimbledon Championships Withdrawal

Aryna Sabalenka withdrew from the 2024 Wimbledon Championships due to a right shoulder injury that forced her to retire during her quarterfinal match at the Berlin Ladies Open in June.

2024: Coaching Team in 2024

As of 2024, Aryna Sabalenka's coaching team includes Anton Dubrov, Jason Stacy, and Andrei Vasilevski.

2024: Wuhan Open Title

In 2024 Aryna Sabalenka defeated fifth seed Zheng Qinwen in three sets to lift her third Wuhan Open title and her second WTA 1000 for the 2024 season.

2024: Aryna Sabalenka's Weeks at Number One Ranking

In 2024 Aryna Sabalenka was ranked number one for 9 weeks.

2024: Madrid Open Thriller Against Elena Rybakina

In 2024, Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina played a Madrid Open thriller where Sabalenka came back from a set and a break down to win, highlighting their powerful baseline exchanges.

2024: Dramatic Encounter in Madrid Open Final

In 2024, Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Świątek had a particularly dramatic encounter in the Madrid Open final, where Świątek saved three championship points to win in three sets.

2024: Rematch Victory at Australian Open

In 2024, Aryna Sabalenka defeated Coco Gauff in a rematch at the Australian Open.

2024: Australian and US Open Wins

In 2024, Aryna Sabalenka defended her Australian Open title and won the US Open, securing the year-end No. 1 ranking.

2024: Dominant Record Against Zheng Qinwen Despite Olympic Gold

In 2024, despite Zheng Qinwen's rise, including winning Olympic gold, Aryna Sabalenka maintains a dominant 5–0 head-to-head record against her.

2024: Cincinnati Open Win

In August 2024, Aryna Sabalenka won the Cincinnati Open, with victories over Iga Świątek in the semifinals and Jessica Pegula in the final.

2024: 2024 Madrid Open final

In the 2024 Madrid Open final, Iga Świątek defeated defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in three sets in 3 hours and 11 minutes, saving three championship points in the process.

2025: Head-to-Head Record Against Jasmine Paolini

As of 2025, Aryna Sabalenka leads her head-to-head record against Jasmine Paolini 3-2, highlighting a clash of styles between Sabalenka's power and Paolini's tactical play.

2025: Close Head-to-Head Record Against Coco Gauff

As of early 2025, Aryna Sabalenka trails Coco Gauff with a close head-to-head record of 4–5.

2025: Indian Wells Final

In 2025, Aryna Sabalenka played at Indian Wells. After defeating McCartney Kessler, Lucia Bronzetti, Sonay Kartal, and Liudmila Samsonova, Sabalenka advanced to the semifinal, where she defeated Madison Keys. Sabalenka lost to Mirra Andreeva in the final in three sets.

2025: Brisbane International Title

In 2025, Aryna Sabalenka started the year by winning the Brisbane International, defeating Polina Kudermetova in the final to claim the 18th singles title of her career.