Aryna Sabalenka shares the real meaning behind the tiger tattoo she decided to get at the age of 18

Aryna Sabalenka has reached her third consecutive semifinal of the Australian Open. She defeated Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in a three-setter. This was the first time this season that the defending champion dropped a set and overall only the second time in the Major's last three years.

Sabalenka cruised through the first set but faced serious difficulty in the second and third sets of the match. The Belarussian committed 21 unforced errors in the last two sets, finding it difficult to find her rhythm on the court today.

In the on-court interview, Sabalenka agreed that she was uncomfortable and struggled but somehow managed to get the win. Further, she was asked about the tattoo on her left forearm. She shared her insights on the tattoo, that it is a mark of resilience and perseverance, and that she carries the mentality of a tiger.

“Well I was one month before 18, and I don’t know I was born year of tiger and I was literally dreaming for six months about getting tiger tattoo and you know after six months of these crazy dreams I was like I have to go and get it done. Now it’s a reminder of never give up and just stay aggressive and stay hungry and push yourself no matter what’s going on in your life,” Aryna Sabalenka said. [01:59]

Everything Sabalenka wears or carries with her is tiger-themed including her shoelaces, a tiger symbol on her shoes, and a watch with a tiger belt, which her team also wears, showing the importance of the tiger in Sablenka’s life since the beginning.

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Aryna Sabalenka will face Paula Badosa in the semifinals of the 2025 Australian Open

Aryna Sabalenka (in red) and Paula Badosa at 2024 French Open - Source: Getty

Paula Badosa has reached her first-ever Major semifinal in a nine-year career. She defeated the World No. 3, Coco Gauff in straight sets, regarded as one of the most important wins in her career. The Spaniard is playing the best tennis of her life as she has defeated formidable opponents to reach the semifinals which she has never reached.

Meanwhile, the World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka aims for her ‘three-peat’ at the Australian Open. The head-to-head record between them is 5-2 with Sabalenka leading. The defending champion is the favorite going into the match but Badosa’s career-best momentum can cause trouble for the Belarusian. They are set to play against each other on Thursday, January 23.