“I thought a tiger suits me. I’m a fighter. I never give up,” Aryna Sabalenka said while talking about her tiger tattoo in a 2023 interview with L’Equipe. And hey, wasn’t she absolutely right? From time to time, the Belarusian has embodied that fierce, never-say-die mentality. She went through personal tragedies and lack of form over the last few years – to the extent that she was forced to serve underarm at one stage- but Sabalenka tackled every challenge head-on. However, when she got that tiger tattoo on her left forearm, what was her mom’s reaction to it? Well, let’s just say it was peak mom energy.

Aryna Sabalenka’s 2025 season has been a rollercoaster, with flashes of brilliance mixed with several heartbreaks! Despite kicking off the year with a title win at the Brisbane International, the top-seed WTA player has faced tough setbacks, including a crushing loss in the AO final to Madison Keys, early exits in Qatar and Dubai, and a shocking defeat to 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva at Indian Wells.

Yet, true to her fighting spirit, the Belarusian has bounced back and is now battling through the Miami Open, reaching the 3rd round. As she navigates this turbulent season, she recently shared a lighter, more personal story. A while back, the official WTA IG channel dropped a short video featuring Aryna Sabalenka, American Jessica Pegula, and Elina Svitolina, where they candidly shared stories behind their tattoos.

In the video, Sabalenka opened up about her ink, saying, “I was I think 18 or like a month before 18 something like that, but I think 18. My mom didn’t speak with me for a week, and then she’s like this is the first and the last one. Yeah of course Mom. Okay, you thought like I have like thousands? Boring.” But this wasn’t the first time she shared details about her tattoo or her mom’s feelings about it!

Previously in an interview with the Tennis Channel in 2019, the Belarusian revealed. “I think I was 18 years old and my parents didn’t know about this tattoo. And when they saw it the first time my dad was laughing, I don’t know why, but my mom didn’t talk to me for one week. And then she said like ‘I hope it’s the first and the last one’ and I said ‘look yeah mama it’s the first one and the last one’ and then I turned around I said ‘hopefully,’ but she didn’t hear that.”

Born in 1998 – the Year of the Tiger – Aryna Sabalenka’s fierce mentality aligns perfectly with the ink she proudly wears in her hand. Even back in November 2020, she opened up about her tattoo, explaining, “So it’s nothing special. I was born year of tiger and sometimes on the court I need to remind myself of them tigers and I have to fight till the end and I just put it on my arm, make sure I can see it all the time, and be on fire.”

The World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka advanced to the Miami Open R16 after a walkover win against Elena-Gabriela Ruse yesterday. And, alongside her tattoo story, she also shared her thoughts on the much-debated PTPA lawsuit.

“The only wish I have,” Sabalenka opens up about her stand on PTPA lawsuit

Aryna Sabalenka is making waves both on and off the court! The 3-time GS winner started her campaign in Miami by beating Viktoriya Tomova of Bulgaria in straight sets 6-3, 6-0. But it wasn’t just her powerful game doing the talking: Sabalenka also made headlines with her candid take on the ongoing PTPA class action lawsuit against the ATP, WTA, ITIA, and ITF.

Unapologetically vocal, she called out the current revenue distribution, insisting the percentages simply aren’t enough.

“Honestly, I haven’t had much time to look for information because I didn’t want to delve into it since I was trying to focus on my tennis, and I didn’t want to get upset or anything about the situation. One thing I would like to see is maybe not just WTA players, but all players, receive a larger percentage of the money they earn at tournaments and Grand Slams, especially. I think it’s fair. If you look at other sports, the percentage works a little differently, so I think that’s the only wish I have,” the 26-year-old remarked.

Up next, Sabalenka awaits the winner of the clash between Swiss qualifier Rebeka Masarova and American 14th seed Danielle Collins. The question now lingers: will she continue her dominant form and march toward another final in 2025?