Aryna Sabalenka has stepped foot at the US Open, after capturing her second title of the season at the Cincinnati Masters. Defeating Jessica Pegula 6-3, 7-5 in the final, Sabalenka showcased her exceptional skills and mental toughness. This victory held particular significance, as she overcame recent injury concerns to reclaim her top form. However, trouble in paradise might be underway for Aryna Sabalenka, owing to an amusing linguistic mishap.

It is worth noting that the former World No. 1 inadvertently stumbled upon the incorrect terminology while thanking her boyfriend during the prize distribution ceremony in Cincy, saying, “Special thank you to my boyfriends… boyfriend. I said ‘Boyfriends’ oh my god, that’s my terrible English guys.”

Ahead of the Flushing Meadows event, the Belarusian vowed to improve her English-speaking skills of all things in a pre-tournament presser. And that sounds reasonable enough, considering she’s reiterated having a boyfriend as “boyfriends” for the second time. As a result, an upset Sabalenka hilariously admitted,“You know, first time I came to Arthur Ashe the crowd was, like, ‘Show us your boyfriends. I’m, like, Why?’

“No, he was laughing. He knows that I have only him. But I don’t know what’s wrong with this world, like, for the second time, I’m making this stupid mistake. Probably need to work on my English pronunciation. It’s terrible. It’s been terrible lately.”

For those unaware, earlier this year, the Belarusian superstar confirmed her relationship with Georgios Frangulis, the CEO of Oakberry. However, Sabalenka invited major attention after publicizing her romance. Notably, her ex-boyfriend passed merely two months after she confirmed her dating rumors.

Aryna Sabalenka cites ‘damage to her mental health’ following ex-boyfriend’s tragic death

Aryna Sabalenka was more than devastated after enduring the news of her ex-boyfriend this year. Konstantin Koltsov, an ice hockey professional, reportedly passed away after he fell from the balcony of a Miami hotel. Departed at the age of 34, Koltsov’s death was ruled as an ‘apparent suicide’, and no ‘foul play’ was indicated. Subsequently, Sabalenka, who was in attendance at the Miami Open at the time, thanked fans for their support on social media and later, opened up about the excruciating toll it took on her.

While speaking to ‘The Guardian’, the Belarusian explained how she navigated through the emotional situation. She also stressed how her ex’s death caused notable mental health issues to her. “At the end, I would say I was struggling a lot health-wise because I didn’t stop. It was emotional and stressful and kind of damaged my mental health at that point. Looking back right now, a better decision would have been to step back, reset and recharge, and start everything over again, but I did what I did.”

The World No. 2 is slated to perform in New York next. She is scheduled to lock horns with Priscilla Hon in the event’s opener on Tuesday, August 27.