Aryna Sabalenka Sums Up ‘Crazy’ Month After Engagement and Sunshine Double History

Aryna Sabalenka has improved her head-to-head record over Coco Gauff to 7-6.

Aryna Sabalenka Sums Up ‘Crazy’ Month After Engagement and Sunshine Double History

Aryna Sabalenka (Image via X/Tiempo De Tenis)

In Short
  • Aryna Sabalenka got engaged to Georgios Frangulis and won her first title at Indian Wells this month.
  • She became the fifth woman to complete the Sunshine Double by winning the Miami Open, joining an elite list of champions.
  • Sabalenka's Miami victory marked her third title of the season and her 24th career singles title overall.

Aryna Sabalenka is on top of the world, all thanks to the “crazy” events that happened this month. She got a puppy, got engaged to her now fiancé, Georgios Frangulis, and topped off the successful month with Sunshine Double history.

The Belarusian defeated Elena Rybakina in the Indian Wells final, winning her career’s first title in the California desert. Then, on March 28, she overcame Coco Gauff in the Miami Open final to become only the fifth woman to complete the Sunshine Double and the first one since Iga Swiatek (2022). She joined Steffi Graf, Kim Clijsters, Victoria Azarenka, and Swiatek in the list.

I don’t know what can be better than this month. It’s definitely one of the best months of my life. And yeah, dog, engagement, Sunshine Double. That’s just like, I don’t know, it’s crazy. I didn’t have a moment to stop and realize what just happened to me in March, but it was definitely the best month of my life. And, you know, I’ll just try to do my very best.

Aryna Sabalenka told Tennis Channel

Sabalenka connected with Frangulis for the first time after becoming a brand ambassador for his superfood brand Oakberry. The 37-year-old, who is from Sao Paulo, Brazil, often attends the World No.1’s matches.

The win in the Miami final helped the four-time Grand Slam singles champion break the tie to take a 7-6 edge in the head-to-head record over Gauff. Sabalenka will be competing for a three-peat in Miami next year.

Gauff, on the other hand, had never progressed to the quarterfinals in her home tournament before this season. She has yet to taste victory in a tournament since lifting last year’s Wuhan Open. Gauff, who was chasing her fourth WTA 1000 title, played her first final of the season.

Aryna Sabalenka reveals her mindset before entering the final

The Miami Open title was Aryna Sabalenka‘s third title of the season. Before completing the Sunshine Double, she defended her trophy at the Brisbane International by defeating Marta Kostyuk.

Aryna Sabalenka
Aryna Sabalenka (Image via X/HQ Pics)

After her Brisbane triumph, the four-time Grand Slam singles champion suffered heartbreak in the Australian Open final, losing to Elena Rybakina in three sets. It was the Kazakh ace who denied Sabalenka the win in last year’s WTA Finals championship match. Sabalenka, in the press conference, also revealed what she has learned from those disappointing results in the big events.

It means a lot. My goal has always been to make history, and I just did. It sounds so unreal, I don’t know how I was able to achieve it, but right now, I’m super proud.

Aryna Sabalenka said at the press conference

It was her 24th singles title as well as her 11th WTA 1000 singles title on the tour. After a short rest, Sabalenka will shift her focus onto the clay swing, where last year, she featured in three finals.

Well, it’s deep, and it’s going to sound very simple, but my mindset going into this final was: ‘There’s no way I’m losing this.’ I tried to carry that tough mindset that I was going to be there fighting for every point, that I wouldn’t let anything affect me, that I would stay focused, fight for every point, and try to find solutions if needed. And I kept reminding myself constantly how strong I am and that I could make it.

Aryna Sabalenka added

On the clay swing last year, the 27-year-old lost the Stuttgart Open final at the hands of Jelena Ostapenko, but was successful in clinching the Madrid Open against Coco Gauff. Then in the French Open final, the two-time Grand Slam singles champion took her revenge.

Also read: Goran Ivanisevic Speaks on the Lack of Finals Between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in 2026