Aryna Sabalenka raises hilarious questions after a gym session with Paula Badosa

Tennis pals Aryna Sabalenka and Paula Badosa recently held a joint training session.

Badosa is scheduled to compete at the Abu Dhabi Open this week after an injury scare at the Hua Hin Championships. She retired midway through her second-round match against Diana Shnaider citing discomfort in her back. The Spaniard has been struggling with her back since sustaining a stress fracture at the Italian Open in April 2023.

However, Badosa later revealed that the damage wasn't severe. Hence, she will take on Ukraine's Anhelina Kalinina on Monday, February 5, in the opening round of the WTA 500 event in Abu Dhabi.

Aryna Sabalenka, on the other hand, has extended her break by announcing her withdrawal from the Qatar Open after a successful campaign at the Australian Open 2024.

The two-time Grand Slam champion recently took to Instagram story and posted a picture with her best buddy Badosa after a training session. Along with the picture, she posted amusing questions for her followers. She first asked who between her and Badosa has finer obliques. She wrote:

"Whose abs are better?"

Her second inquiry was:

"Do we look alike?"

Aryna Sabalenka's Instagram story

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"The way Aryna Sabalenka treats people shows that she has a very big heart" - Dinara Safina

Aryna Sabalenka

Meanwhile, former World No. 1 Dinara Safina recently showered praise on Aryna Sabalenka during an interview with Tennis.com. Safina competed on the women's circuit between the years 2000 and 2014.

Safina observed that Sabalenka has improved, especially emotionally, a great deal in the recent past.

"I think she changed as a person. She has found a balance where she is happy inside and isn’t struggling emotionally. Even if she loses a match, she’s still smiling and not taking it personal. She’s able to understand that she can have a bad day and still give 100 percent the next match. It’s not killing her from the inside," Safina said.

Safina further commended the Belarusian's courage to be answerable. She said:

"The way she handled herself speaks to her strength of character, how loyal she is to her team. If something has gone wrong, she takes the responsibility. She doesn’t blame others, and I think the way she treats people shows that she has a very big heart."

In her 14-year-long career, Safina earned a silver medal for Russia at the Beijing Olympics and won a total of 12 singles titles. Notably, she also won the US Open doubles event in 2007.