Aryna Sabalenka looks to win her third consecutive US Open title at Flushing Meadows this month. After defeating Camila Osorio in straight sets, Sabalenka takes on Polina Iatcenko in the second round on September 2.
Sabalenka’s No. 1 world ranking is at stake should she stumble at the 2026 US Open. After disappointing finishes at the past several tournaments, including a quarterfinal exit at the French Open and losing in the fourth round at Wimbledon.
While Elena Rybakina (No. 2) and Jessica Pegula (No. 3) are biting at her heels, Sabalenka, who’s spent 99 consecutive weeks at No. 1 and thrives on hard courts, is feeling confident.
“I work on my mental side of the game. I’ve been trying to reset my mind and to come back stronger,” she told reporters in New York. “It’s only a matter of time for me to come back.”
By her side as she competes at Flushing Meadows, Sabalneka’s fiancé, Georgios Frangulis. The CEO and co-founder of Oakberry proposed in March with a stunning 12-carat diamond ring just before the Miami Open.
Before her first singles match at the US Open, Sabalenka shared a major update on their wedding planning.
Aryna Sabalenka, Fiancé Georgios Frangulis Plan to Marry in September 2027, After the US Open
Speaking to Vogue for a special recording of The Run-Through in New York, Sabalenka revealed that she and Frangulis are not rushing to the altar. “Now, it’s planned for September of next year, so have to start planning after US Open,” she said.
The 28-year-old, however, is excited to take the reins because she is still reeling from when Frangulis got down on one knee and proposed.
“So, I was wearing a pair of jeans… white T-shirt, and flip-flops. And I did like this ugly braid. It was after two practices, gym, and then I was doing treatment with my face down on the table. I still had my marks from the table.”
“Nobody pushed me hard enough to put on just a little bit of makeup!” she continued with a laugh. “And I was crying for a little moment because I looked ugly. I hadn’t prepared at all.” She asked the videographer and the photographer not to film her face.
Sabalenka posted a video of the special moment Frangulis proposed on Instagram. She wrote, “You & me, forever ♾️ 3.3.26 💍🤍.” And as promised, her face was barely shown.
Aryna Sabalenka Doesn’t Want a ‘Huge’ Wedding With Georgios Frangulis, ‘300 People Maximum’
In a different interview amid the Berlin Open, the Belarusian star revealed she’s not looking to host a massive wedding. “We know where it’s going to be and when,” she told the WTA in June. “But I don’t want to have a big wedding.
“I want to have like 300 people maximum and then like have a huge party and everyone is having fun, ya know? Everyone says they ended up having 500,000, and I’m like how can you say hi to everyone?”
Aryna Sabalanka Announces Major Wedding News Before US Open