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Aryna Sabalenka paid an emotional tribute to her later father, Sergey Sabalenka, on his fifth death anniversary. Sergey, a former ice hockey player, played a significant role in Aryna's tennis career and passed away in 2019.
Sabalenka was born to Sergey and Yulia Sabalenka in Minsk, Belarus, in 1998. Sergey was a professional ice hockey player in his younger days and the main driver behind Aryna's decision to pursue a career in tennis. In an earlier interview, the World No. 1 had recalled the first memory of seeing a tennis court with her father.
"One day, my dad was just driving me somewhere in the car, and on the way he saw tennis courts. So he took me to the courts. I really liked it and enjoyed it and that's how it was. That's how it started," Sabalenka said.
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Sergey Sabalenka was present to watch his daughter's professional tennis debut in 2015 and continued to be a source of inspiration for Aryna. Tragically, Sergey passed away in 2019 at the age of 43 due to meningitis. On the occasion of his fifth death anniversary, Aryna took to Instagram to share an old image of her father and pen an emotional message fondly remembering him.
"5 years like you’re my 👼 I miss you so much," Aryna Sabalenka wrote on her Instagram stories.
Aryna Sabalenka paid tribute to her father after US Open 2024 triumph
Aryna Sabalenka won her third Grand Slam title, second of the year, at the 2024 US Open after beating Jessica Pegula 7-5, 7-5 in the title contest. Sabalenka fulfilled one of her primary career goals with her triumph in New York and paid gratitude to her father, Sergey, as well as her family for never giving up on her.
"After I lost my father, it's always been my goal to put our family name in the history of tennis. And every time I see my name on that trophy, I'm so proud of myself, I'm proud of my family that they never gave up on my dream. And that they were doing everything they could to keep me going. And so I had this opportunity in life. So it really means a lot," Aryna Sabalenka said in her post-final press conference.
Sabalenka did not drop a set en route to her title at the 2024 US Open. She defeated the likes of Priscilla Hon, Lucia Bronzetti, Ekaterina Alexandrova, Elise Mertens, Zheng Qinwen, Emma Navarro, and Pegula to lift her maiden title at Flushing Meadows.
The US Open was Sabalenka's third title on the 2024 WTA Tour after her triumphs at the Australian Open and Cincinnati Open. She also picked up her fourth silverware of the year at the Wuhan Open before ending her season at the WTA Finals in Riyadh, where she was eliminated in the semifinals.
