"Feel like I’ve been eliminated" - Aryna Sabalenka shares hilarious take on friendship with Paula Badosa and Ons Jabeur

Aryna Sabalenka recently joked about getting ditched by her rival-turned-friends Paula Badosa and Ons Jabeur.

Sabalenka, Jabeur, and Badosa recently competed at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix 2024. Notably, all three could not play more than two matches in the Stuttgart competition with Badosa being the first one to bow out. She was forced to retire midway through her second-round match against Sabalenka on Thursday, April 18, due to a thigh injury.

Jabeur followed the Spaniard out on Thursday itself as she lost to Italy's Jasmine Paolini in the second round. Sabalenka was the only one among the three to receive a bye in the first round but she too exited the contention soon after surpassing Badosa.

The Belarusian lost to reigning Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova in the quarterfinals on Friday notably failing to defend her runner-up points at the Stuttgart event.

Sabalenka and Badosa share an amicable bond off the court and Jabeur has been making space for herself in the equation as evident during their time together on the sidelines of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix 2024.

Badosa took to Instagram and posted a picture from a candid meeting with the other two on Sunday, April 14, and wrote:

"Always fun time together"

Sabalenka and Badosa were indulged in an intense practice session in Stuttgart on Sunday. The two ended proceedings with an extended hug, which prompted Jabeur to have a little fun as she picked up a broom and jokingly attempted to push Sabalenka away from the Spaniard.

A couple of days later, Badosa picked Jabeur as her best friend on camera. Jabeur later posted the video on her Instagram story and teased Aryna Sabalenka. The Tunisian succeeded in her mission as Sabalenka came out hilariously severing ties with Badosa.

Most recently, the World No. 2 received a fan query about who she loves the most between Badosa and Jabeur. She amusingly registered her displeasure again, writing:

"Hmmmmmm idk, I feel like I've been eliminated from our group. Love this [these] two a lot"

A screenshot of Aryna Sabalenka's recent Instagram story.

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Aryna Sabalenka's head-to-head record against Paula Badosa identical to the one against Ons Jabeur

Aryna Sabalenka

Aryna Sabalenka has interestingly played against Paula Badosa and Ons Jabeur six times each and enjoys identical leads of 4-2 in terms of her respective head-to-head against the two.

She first met Badosa on the court in the second round at the Cincinnati Open 2021, where the Spaniard drew first blood. Badosa registered victory in their second meeting at the WTA Finals later the same year but hasn't succeeded against the Belarusian even once since then.

Ons Jabeur too defeated Aryna Sabalenka on her first attempt in the third round of the French Open 2020. She recorded her second win in the semifinals of the Wimbledon Championships three years later. A couple of months later, Sabalenka prevailed over the Tunisian in the quarterfinals of the Cincinnati Open and the two haven't clashed since then.