Aryna Sabalenka Suffers a Personal Tragedy

Top-ranked Belarusian tennis player, Aryna Sabalenka lost her father, Sergey Sabalenka on Friday morning as reported by Belarus Olympic Committee. He was 44-years-old and was hospitalized for a week. He took his last breath at 6.10 am on Friday. The details regarding the cause of his death are yet to be disclosed.

Sergey was a hockey player and he introduced Aryna to tennis when she was six-years-old. “One day, my dad was just driving me somewhere in the car, and on the way, he saw tennis courts. So he took me to the courts. I really liked it and enjoyed it and that’s how it was. That’s how it started,” Aryna Sabalenka once said.

Recently, on a talk show, the 21-year-old, Aryna Sabalenka announced her engagement. “I don’t really want to comment on this, but for now, like this. It’s just an engagement, that is, there will not be a wedding. Just engaged,” she said.

Read More – Aryna Sabalenka Breaks Her Engagement News

This year, Sabalenka defended her singles title in Wuhan after defeating Alison Riske in three sets. Before defending her title, she stunned the World Number one Ashleigh Barty in the semifinals of Wuhan. Later in Beijing, she was a first-round upset. 

In the doubles discipline, Sabalenka had phenomenal results this season. The Belarusian was in tandem with Elise Mertens, the duo held the ‘American Double Sunshine’ crown this year and winning consecutive matches in Indian Wells and Miami.

Singles World Number 11, Sabalenka made her Grand Slam breakthrough in 2019 by lifting up the US Open 2019 title alongside Mertens. They defeated the pair, Ash Barty and Victoria Azarenka in the Flushing Meadows finals.

During the US Open 2019, Aryna Sabalenka split with her coach, Tursunov, but she soon revived her partnership with him.

After a triumphant season, Aryna Sabalenka and Elise Mertens qualified for the year-end tournament in Shenzhen. At WTA Finals 2019, the duo could win just one match.