NEED TO KNOW
- Aryna Sabalenka was born to her parents, Sergey Sabalenka and Yulia Sabalenka, in 1998
- Aryna’s father died in 2019 when she was 21 years old
- The tennis champ has credited her family for being her motivation on the court
Aryna Sabalenka’s family name will go down in tennis history — she’s making sure of that.
After her father, Sergey Sabalenka, died unexpectedly of meningitis in 2019, the three-time Grand Slam champion said she made a promise to him, her mom, Yulia Sabalenka, and her little sister to become the best in the world.
“After I lost my father, it’s always been my goal to put our family name in the history of tennis,” she told reporters at a press conference after winning her third major title in September 2024. “Every time I see my name on that trophy, I’m so proud of myself, I’m proud of my family that they never gave up on my dream and that they were doing everything they could to keep me going.”
Sergey and Yulia welcomed Aryna in May 1998, and their second daughter, Tonechka Sabalenka, 11 years later. The tennis pro told Flaunt Magazine in January 2025 that her family motivates her more than anything else.
“There were some times when I wanted to give up, but I was just thinking, I cannot quit,” Aryna told the outlet. “I want them to be proud of me, to bring some positivity into their lives because they get happy when I win. And I want it to be a great example for my sister; she’s 11 years younger. I want her to see a good example [in me] just like I saw in my father.”
Here’s everything to know about Aryna Sabalenka’s parents, Sergey Sabalenka and Yulia Sabalenka.
Sergey was an ice hockey player
Aryna inherited her athleticism from her father, who was a successful Belarusian ice hockey player. Though the tennis pro told Flaunt Magazine that she also got his determination and persistence, what she really hoped to embody was his cheery disposition.
“I think I was seven or nine,” Aryna recalled to the outlet. “We had just had a party in the house, and I looked up at him, and he was so funny. So happy. People loved him.”
She continued, “I looked to him thinking, ‘I hope when I grow up I’ll have this personality.’ He was always focusing on the positive things rather than the negative.”
They have two daughters
Sergey and Yulia welcomed two girls over the course of their marriage. Aryna was born on May 5, 1998, and Tonechka arrived in February 2009. The tennis champ told Flaunt Magazine that after guiding her younger sister through some tough times, she’s decided to play the part of the cool older sister instead.
“There were times that were really tough for her because I was just trying to make her understand things, and I was stuck on her,” she said. “But now I think I’m the one who’s just there for fun, for support, and for whatever advice she needs from me.”’
She continued, “Whatever she asks me for, I’m always trying to figure out a way to deliver it … I love her. When she was born, I was the happiest person. I asked my mom for a sister for years and years.”
Sergey introduced Aryna to tennis
Describing herself as not “a sitting-in-one-spot kid,” Aryna told SELF in May 2025 that her dad decided to see if she liked tennis after they drove past a court one day. Though the then-6-year-old thought the sport was fun, the real reason she liked it was because she got to skip school sometimes to play.
After winning her second Grand Slam title at the 2024 Australian Open championship in January 2024, she revealed to reporters that the trophy got her one step closer to fulfilling her and her father’s dream.
“I lost my father four years ago. We had one dream,” Aryna said, per Yahoo! Sports. “That before 25, I will win a couple of Grand Slams.”
She continued, “There was a moment where I really didn’t believe that I’m gonna win it one day. But, I just couldn’t quit … I want to believe there is something that my father is watching me and very proud of me. So I just couldn’t stop — for my family.”
Yulia jokingly called Aryna’s Australian Open trophies “boring”
Aryna’s mom is proud of her daughter’s Australian Open wins — but told her that maybe it was time to seek out some other trophy designs before she took home the US Open title later that year.
“My mom has them, and they are side by side, like she called them twins,” she told reporters in March 2024, per Tennis World. “She said, ‘Like we need to kind of play have like different types of them, like it looks boring when you have like just two of the same ones, like can you just work on the other Slams?’ ”
The tennis pro quipped back, “I’m like, ‘Mom, well, what is your request? You could have just appreciated these two; it wasn’t easy to get.’ ”
Sergey died in 2019
In 2019, Aryna’s father died unexpectedly from meningitis at just 43 years old.
The loss hit the then-21-year-old hard. She told Flaunt Magazine there was an entire year when she “couldn’t serve.” With the help of a psychologist and a biomechanical coach, she eventually found a way to channel her dad’s determination and move forward in her career.
“The way he raised me, he always told me that you have to fight,” Aryna told SELF. “You have to work hard.”
She added that in addition to pushing her, “he was always positive, fun, and he always tried to stay strong.”
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