Aryna Sabalenka all smiles as David Beckham hands her custom Inter Miami jersey during MLS visit

Aryna Sabalenka was in for a surprise as she received a custom-made Inter Miami jersey from none other than soccer legend David Beckham during her recent visit to the Chase Stadium in Florida. Beckham, one of the greatest soccer players of all time, is the co-owner of Inter Miami.

Sabalenka enjoyed an evening at the stadium after her stunning campaign at the Miami Open. The World No. 1 beat Jessica Pegula for the title in Miami to extend her brilliant start to the season. Such was the three-time Grand Slam champion’s form that she did not drop a set throughout the tournament and got past the likes of Danielle Collins, Qinwen Zheng, and Jasmine Paolini.

Fresh from her triumph, Sabalenka headed to the Chase Stadium and was greeted by Beckham, who gifted her Inter Miam’s iconic pink jersey. The jersey even had number 1 on the back, which Sabalenka was thrilled about.

In a video posted by the club’s Instagram handle on Sunday, the Belarusian was seen posing for pictures with Beckham before launching a few autographed tennis balls into the crowds.

“I love it, I love it so much. I’m enjoying my time here. Thank you so much for cheering me on. It’s just so good to be at home and winning a title is amazing. To be able to attend other sports…I just feel so happy right now,” Aryna Sabalenka said.

The Miami Open attracted plenty of interest from athletes in the USA as Lionel Messi, was also in attendance recently to watch Novak Djokovic’s match against Camilo Ugo Carabelli. The Argentine forward later met the 24-time Grand Slam winner in the locker room and they exchanged t-shirts.

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Aryna Sabalenka opens up about the significance of her Miami Open triumph

Aryna Sabalenka poses with the Miami Open trophy. Source: Getty

Aryna Sabalenka spoke about how important it was for her to win the Miami Open, especially after she fell in the finals of the Australian Open and the Indian Wells Masters. The Belarusian enjoyed a stellar week in Miami en route to the title and later told reporters,

"(I am) super happy. It was a very important win, a very important title, and I'm kind of like speechless right now, to be honest. It means a lot and it's very important one," Sabalenka said.

Aryna Sabalenka added,

"I'm happy to finish hard-court season before going to the clay on a big note. That’s why this final is very special and very important because after those two tough lessons, I just couldn’t lose another one. I didn’t want that to get into my head. I was super focused, I'm super happy to win this title.”

Aryna Sabalenka also treated herself to a few gifts after her victory, which included some jewellery as well as an Audemars Piguet luxury watch.