Aryna Sabalenka, the reigning world number one in women’s tennis and a multiple Grand Slam champion, is officially off the market. Her partner, Brazilian entrepreneur Georgios Frangulis, proposed to her on a Wednesday in a setting decorated with flowers and candles, presenting her with a diamond engagement ring. Sabalenka appeared genuinely caught off guard by the moment, covering her face with her hands before finally looking down at the ring. She then broke into laughter, embraced him, and shared a kiss beside a pool glowing with candlelight.
Sabalenka wasted no time sharing the news with her followers, posting a clip of the proposal on Instagram with the caption “You and me forever” alongside infinity, wedding ring, and white heart symbols. The post quickly drew an outpouring of congratulations from across the sports and entertainment world. Among those celebrating the couple were tennis legend Novak Djokovic and his wife Jelena, Hollywood actress Eiza Gonzalez, and American tennis player Ben Shelton. Djokovic marked the occasion with three heart emojis in the comments, while Jelena kept it simple with a warm “Congratulations.”
For fans who had been paying close attention, the engagement had been hinted at for months. At the Brisbane tournament in January, Sabalenka won the final and then, during her on-court speech, delivered a line that had the crowd erupting. After thanking her team and joking that she is “difficult to work with,” she turned her attention to Frangulis with a playful remark directed his way: “I hope I’ll be calling you by a different name soon, right?” The audience laughed, and she quickly added, “Now I’ve put extra pressure on myself, haven’t I?” Cameras caught Frangulis smiling in the stands. It was not the first time marriage had come up in a public setting either. At the previous year’s US Open, upon spotting a proposal happening in the crowd, she glanced over at her boyfriend and quipped, “No pressure.”
Sabalenka confirmed her relationship with Frangulis in May 2024, and by July of that same year she was already calling him “the love of my life” during a period of recovery after withdrawing from Wimbledon with an injury. Frangulis is a Brazilian entrepreneur and the founder of the superfood brand Oakberry, which had previously sponsored the Haas Formula One team. Once the couple went public, Oakberry entered into a partnership with Sabalenka herself, and she developed her own signature acai bowl for the brand. Before building his business empire, Frangulis studied law, and his other great passion is motorsport. He has competed in 128 races within the Brazilian Porsche 911 GT3 Cup series.
Throughout their relationship, Frangulis has been vocal about his admiration for Sabalenka on social media. After she claimed the US Open title in 2024, he posted a tribute calling himself “in love with the queen of New York.” When Sabalenka shared a couple photo captioning it with a reference to funny pictures, great outfits, and good food, he replied in the comments with “Always funny, never boring, te amo,” slipping in the Portuguese expression for “I love you.”
Sabalenka’s personal life has not been without its heartbreak. Before her relationship with Frangulis, she was together for three years with Belarusian ice hockey player Konstantin Koltsov, who passed away in March 2024 in Miami after falling from a hotel balcony. Sabalenka has spoken openly about how she processed the loss, drawing a parallel to an earlier grief she experienced when she lost her father. She reflected on how throwing herself back into tennis was her way of coping both times, though she acknowledged it came at a cost. As she put it, “I fought a lot with my health because I didn’t stop. It was emotional and stressful, and it affected my mental health.” The vulnerability with which she has discussed these experiences has only deepened the admiration her fans hold for her.
Oakberry, the brand Frangulis founded, now operates in over 40 countries and has become one of the fastest-growing acai chains in the world, which says quite a bit about the ambition both he and Sabalenka share. Sabalenka herself holds the record for the most weeks spent at world number one by a Belarusian tennis player in the Open Era, and she has shown no signs of slowing down either on or off the court.
What do you think of the news that Aryna Sabalenka and Georgios Frangulis are engaged? Share your thoughts in the comments.
