Aryna Sabalenka advanced to the third round of Indian Wells after defeating Himeno Sakatsume in their second-round match on Friday. Winning was the perfect outcome for the four-time Grand Slam champion, especially since she had announced her engagement to her long-time boyfriend, Georgios Frangulis, on social media just three days before her second-round match.
After her victory, Sabalenka spoke to the media at a post-match press conference, reflecting on her win. Later, a journalist asked the World No. 1 whether she was worried about losing or damaging her engagement ring during play, since she wore it during her match on Friday night.
“We double checked if there’s a possibility to lose a diamond [during the match] and there is none, so I was confident wearing it. It feels comfy, it feels shiny, and I hope that my opponent will get distracted by these diamonds,” Sabalenka responded.
Fans noticed Sabalenka’s explanation for wearing the ring during the match and criticized her for the controversial remarks.
“No possibility? Honey, unless it is glued to your finger, and even then, it can get lost. Playing tennis with half a million dollars in your hand is so f-ing stupid, and not just bc of the money. I swear she has become so embarrassing,” one fan commented.
“Nobody cares about your ring… How many times will you show it off?” another fan commented.
“Nobody is getting distracted by that cubic zirconia,” yet another fan commented.
“She’s literally laughing and smirking as she says this, yet some people think she’s being serious. Get a SENSE of humor,” another posted.
“Tired of her cringe talks and mimics that she thinks she is funny,” one user tweeted.
While fans have their say, a determined Sabalenka has eyes for the grand prize at the end of the 12-day event in California. The Bulgarian will continue her quest in Indian Wells when she takes on Jaqueline Cristian in R3 on Sunday.
Aryna Sabalenka Shares Loving Moments From Her Proposal Day
On March 3, Aryna Sabalenka took to her Instagram account to share a video and a set of images capturing the loving moments from her engagement day with Frangulis. In the video, Frangulis can be observed going down on one knee and proposing to Sabalenka poolside with a richly decorated surroundings.
In the other post, the Bulgarian shared some images from the happy night, with a caption that read, “I can finally call him something else… FIANCÉ 💍.”
While Sabalenka has taken the next step in her loving relationship with Frangulis, the World No. 1 would be determined to win her second WTA title of the year after narrowly missing out on winning the Australian Open title last month.
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