Meet tennis star Aryna Sabalenka, who just pulled out of Wimbledon

Aryna Sabalenka is a former No.1 tennis player in the women’s singles and doubles, and the Belarusian athlete is currently ranked 3rd worldwide by the WTA. Much to fans’ delight, she also recently confirmed her relationship with Georgios Frangulis in an Instagram reel filmed at the Berlin Open.

Just weeks before, 26-year-old Sabalenka had announced that she would not be playing in the upcoming Paris Olympics. Then she withdrew from Wimbledon hours before the tournament’s opening match in which she was set to face off against German Emina Bektas. Sabalenka, whose appearance at the world’s biggest tournament was a highly anticipated one, cited a “very frustrating” shoulder injury that has left her unable to serve, according to AP.

It’s been a tough few months for Sabalenka, after her former boyfriend – NHL player Konstantin Koltsov – also died suddenly in March.

Here’s what else we know about Sabalenka:

She’s done some modelling

Her ex boyfriend died in March

Tennis player Paula Badosa, Sabalenka’s “best friend” and currently ranked 93rd by the WTA, had to play against the grieving athlete at the Miami Open in the days following Koltsov’s death, according to The Telegraph.

Before the match Badosa commented on Sabalenka’s emotional strength: “She’s a strong woman. I think she will get the power from somewhere.”

She’s known for the tiger tattoo on her arm

The athlete’s in-game fierceness has also earned her the nickname “The Tiger”, per Business Insider.

She doesn’t support the Russia-Ukraine war

Sabalenka is transparent about her political beliefs and has spoken out about the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, expressing a desire for peace: “Nobody in this world, Russian athletes or Belarusian athletes, support the war. Nobody.”

She’s currently dating a racecar driver and CEO

Sabalenka’s current boyfriend, Georgios Frangulis, is a decade older than her, and is the co-founder and acting CEO of the Brazilian açai chain Oakberry. Since its 2016 inception in São Paulo, Oakberry has expanded to global markets including Portugal, Spain, the UAE, Korea, the US, UK and more, according to the Franchise Times.

Frangulis is also a racecar driver who competed in the Porsche Carrera Cup Brasil last year. Sabalenka, who accompanied him to F1’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix this May, seems just as infused with passion for the sport, sharing photos of the two of them on her Instagram. Frangulis is also a sponsor of the Haas F1 team, which includes big name F1 drivers such as Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen.

Sabalenka has even been spotted at the Haas Paddock Club with Frangulis, who introduced her to the Haas team members. The athlete’s mood seemed lifted despite her loss to Iga Świątek in the Italian Open final just hours prior.

Sabalenka dropped a major hint she was in a relationship with Frangulis when she took a holiday in Greece after her defeat against Mirra Andreeva at the French Open – and he could be seen in one of her photos.