History of Aryna Sabalenka in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: July 12, 2026

Aryna Sabalenka is a Belarusian professional tennis player renowned for her immense power and aggressive baseline game. A multiple-time Grand Slam champion, she secured her status as a global elite talent by winning back-to-back Australian Open titles in 2023 and 2024. Sabalenka has also achieved the world number one ranking in both singles and doubles, demonstrating her versatility on the court. Known for her high-intensity playing style and resilient competitive spirit, she has become a dominant force in modern women's tennis, consistently reaching the latter stages of major tournaments. Despite navigating challenges both on and off the court, her relentless work ethic and heavy-hitting groundstrokes have solidified her place among the top performers in the sport.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

May 1998: Birth of Aryna Sabalenka

Aryna Siarhiejeŭna Sabalenka, who would go on to become a world-renowned professional tennis player, was born in May 1998.

Others born on this day/year

1998: Natasha Zvereva's Wimbledon Semifinal Appearance

In 1998, Natasha Zvereva became the first Belarusian woman to reach the semifinal stage at Wimbledon, setting a historic milestone for her country.

2011: Victoria Azarenka's 2011 Wimbledon Semifinal

Victoria Azarenka achieved a major career milestone in 2011 by becoming the second Belarusian woman to advance to the final four at Wimbledon.

2012: ITF Women's Circuit Debut

In 2012, Aryna Sabalenka began her professional tennis career by playing on the ITF Women's Circuit, participating in tournaments in her hometown of Minsk before competing on the junior circuit.

2012: Victoria Azarenka's 2012 Wimbledon Semifinal

In 2012, Victoria Azarenka once again reached the semifinal stage of Wimbledon, reinforcing her status as a top competitor from Belarus.

2013: Early ITF Junior Circuit Debut

In 2013, at age 15, Aryna Sabalenka made her debut in the main draw of an ITF event at the Grade-4 Tallink Cup in Estonia and won her first ITF doubles title at the Grade-5 Alatan Tour Cup in Belarus alongside partner Vera Lapko.

2014: First Professional Match Victory

At the conclusion of 2014, Aryna Sabalenka achieved her first professional match victory while competing in a tournament held in Istanbul.

2014: Commencement of Training at National Tennis Academy

In 2014, following the opening of the National Tennis Academy in Minsk, Aryna Sabalenka began her professional training there.

2014: Junior Career Success at Grade 4 Events

Throughout 2014, Sabalenka saw significant improvement in her performance, reaching her first singles final at the Estonian Junior Open in June, winning her first singles title at the MTV Total Junior Cup in October, and defending her doubles title while adding a singles victory at the Alatan Tour Cup by the end of the year.

2015: Strategic Shift to Professional Circuit

During 2015, the Belarusian Tennis Federation advised Sabalenka to transition away from junior tournaments to concentrate on low-level professional events, marking a shift in her career path.

2015: European Junior Championships Participation

In 2015, Sabalenka participated in only one tournament, the Grade B1 European Junior Championships, which marked the highest-level junior event of her career to that point; she was eliminated in the second round by Markéta Vondroušová.

2016: WTA Ranking Breakthrough and Fed Cup Debut

During 2016, Sabalenka entered the top 300 WTA rankings, made her Fed Cup debut in April, and climbed to a year-end world ranking of No. 137 following two $50k title wins in Tianjin and Toyota.

2016: Aryna Sabalenka's 2016 Breakthrough Season

During the 2016 season, Aryna Sabalenka experienced several key milestones, including her first WTA Tour main draw appearance at the Dubai Open in February, her first WTA Tour match victory at Wimbledon in July, and a significant win over Lauren Davis at the Washington Open.

2017: Limited WTA Participation

During the year 2017, Aryna Sabalenka participated in a relatively small number of WTA events, which preceded her move to a full-time tour schedule the following year.

2017: Fed Cup Breakthrough

In 2017, Aryna Sabalenka and Aliaksandra Sasnovich achieved prominence by leading the Belarus Fed Cup team to a runner-up finish, despite both players holding rankings outside the top 75.

2018: Year-End Top 15 Ranking

Aryna Sabalenka concluded the 2018 tennis season with a world No. 11 ranking in singles.

2018: Maintaining Year-End Ranking

In 2018, Aryna Sabalenka successfully concluded the year by matching her previous year-end ranking, bolstered by her performance in winning three tennis titles throughout China.

2018: Transition to Full-Time WTA Tour

In 2018, Sabalenka utilized her improved ranking to compete exclusively on the WTA Tour, achieving notable milestones such as a third-round appearance at the Indian Wells Open and a victory over Svetlana Kuznetsova, despite an opening-round loss at the 2018 Australian Open.

2019: Maintaining World No. 11

By the end of 2019, Aryna Sabalenka successfully maintained her position as the world No. 11 singles player.

2019: US Open Doubles Championship

In 2019, Aryna Sabalenka achieved a significant career milestone by winning the US Open doubles title alongside her partner Elise Mertens.

2019: Breakthrough Year in Doubles

In 2019, Aryna Sabalenka began competing regularly in doubles tennis, achieving immediate success by winning the Sunshine Double at Indian Wells and Miami alongside her partner Elise Mertens. Later in 2019, the duo secured a victory at the US Open, and Sabalenka qualified for the prestigious WTA Finals for the first time in her career.

2019: Passing of Sergey Sabalenka

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

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

In February 2021, Aryna Sabalenka reached her first Grand Slam singles fourth round at the Australian Open before being defeated by Serena Williams. Later that month, on February 22, 2021, she secured the women's doubles title alongside partner Elise Mertens, a victory that propelled her to the world No. 1 ranking in doubles for the first time in her career.

2021: Australian Open Doubles Championship

Aryna Sabalenka secured her second major doubles title in 2021 by winning the Australian Open, once again partnering with Elise Mertens.

2021: Australian Open Title and World No. 1 Ranking

During 2021, Sabalenka and Mertens captured their second major title together at the Australian Open. Following this triumph in 2021, Sabalenka attained the world No. 1 ranking in doubles before transitioning her focus entirely to singles competition.

2021: Rising to World No. 2

Following two major singles semifinal appearances in 2021, Aryna Sabalenka reached a career-high world ranking of No. 2.

2021: Abu Dhabi Open Championship victory

In 2021, Aryna Sabalenka extended her winning streak to 15 matches by winning the Abu Dhabi Open, where she defeated Veronika Kudermetova in the final. This tournament victory, which occurred during the 2021 season, helped her reach a career-high world ranking of No. 7.

2021: Victory at the Madrid Open and Top 5 Ranking Breakthrough

In 2021, Aryna Sabalenka secured the Madrid Open title after defeating world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty in the final. This victory, which followed their recent meeting at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, marked her fourth WTA 1000 title and propelled her into the top 5 of the singles world rankings at world No. 4.

2022: Early 2022 Season Struggles at Adelaide International

During the 2022 season, Aryna Sabalenka experienced a difficult start at the Adelaide International events. In the Adelaide International 1, she was eliminated in the second round by Kaja Juvan after serving 18 double faults. Shortly after, at the Adelaide International 2, she suffered a first-round loss to qualifier Rebecca Peterson, struggling once again with her serve by recording 21 double faults during the match.

2022: Consistency Challenges

During the 2022 season, Aryna Sabalenka faced difficulties maintaining the high level of success she achieved the previous year.

2022: Aryna Sabalenka's 2022 Tennis Season Highlights

Throughout 2022, Aryna Sabalenka experienced a series of competitive ups and downs, including reaching the semifinals at the Qatar Ladies Open, her first final of the year at the Stuttgart Open, and multiple semifinal appearances at the Italian Open. Despite these efforts, she faced challenges with early exits at tournaments like the Madrid Open and the French Open, often encountering high-ranking opponents such as Iga Świątek and Camila Giorgi.

2023: Major Title and World No. 1 Ranking

In 2023, Aryna Sabalenka experienced a landmark year by winning her first major singles title at the Australian Open, finishing as a runner-up at the US Open, and securing the world No. 1 ranking for the first time.

2024: 2024 Championship Success and Year-End No. 1

During 2024, Aryna Sabalenka successfully defended her Australian Open title, secured her third major singles championship at the US Open, and achieved the year-end No. 1 world ranking for the first time in her career.

2025: 2025 Consistent World No. 1 Performance

In 2025, Sabalenka maintained the No. 1 position for the duration of the entire season while defending her US Open title and reaching the finals at both the Australian Open and the French Open.

2026: 2026 Sunshine Double and Laureus Award

Throughout 2026, Sabalenka achieved the Sunshine Double by winning Indian Wells and Miami back-to-back, reached her eighth major singles final at the Australian Open, and was honored with the Laureus World Sports Award for Sportswoman of the Year.