Aryna Sabalenka relishes court time as sister Tonechka makes rare appearance at Qatar Open, jokes about 'putting' her to work

Aryna Sabalenka hit the courts at the Qatar Open with her sister Tonechka by her side. The Belarusian playfully joked about 'putting' her sister to work before correcting herself, saying she was actually 'taking' her along.

Sabalenka took to Instagram on February 7 to share a carousel of images featuring her 15-year-old sister, Tonechka, who joined her in Doha. The young sibling was seen spending time on the court, taking notes on a laptop, and indulging in some snacks. Sabalenka jokingly captioned the post:

"Put your sister to work day. Oops, I mean “take” 😂"

Sabalenka will be playing at the first WTA 1000 event of the season in Doha this week. She has received a bye in the first round as the top seed and will play the winner of Ekaterina Alexandrova vs Emma Raducanu on February 11.

The Belarusian won the event in 2020 when it was a Premier 5 tournament on the WTA Tour. She reached the quarterfinals in 2022 when it became a WTA 1000 event and did not participate in 2023 when it became a WTA 500 event. Last year, the Qatar Open reverted to a WTA 1000 event, but Sabalenka did not participate.

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Aryna Sabalenka opens up about buying a luxury item for her 15-year-old sister Tonechka

Aryna Sabalenka at the Australian Open - Source: Getty

Last month, Aryna Sabalenka dazzled on the cover of Flaunt Magazine with several glamorous outfits. She also sat down for an interview with the magazine where she opened up about several topics. Staying in line with fashion, she revealed that she had bought her 15-year-old sister a luxury bag.

"Whatever she asks me for, I’m always trying to figure out a way to deliver it. I was in Dubai, and she sent me this list. My team was going back home, and I was running around the mall trying to find all these things, and the Dubai Mall is huge. She’d be like, ‘Also that! Also that! Also that!’ Like, an endless list. I was exhausted," Aryna Sabalenka said.

"I got her this Yves Saint Laurent bag. For a 15-year-old! Like, I wished I would get this present when I was 15," she added.

Sabalenka shares a close bond with her 15-year-old sister, Tonechka, and prioritizes being a source of support rather than judgment. She admitted that there were challenging moments in the past when she tried hard to make her sister understand certain things.

However, she now embraces a more relaxed approach, focusing on offering encouragement, fun, and guidance whenever needed.