"Love you so much" - Aryna Sabalenka gushes over "beautiful sister" Tonechka on her birthday
Aryna Sabalenka wished sister Tonechka on her birthday and also expressed love for her younger sibling.
Tonechka, despite being a celebrity sibling of the reigning Australian Open champion, likes to keep a low profile. However, Sabalenka, who is quite active on social media, mentions Tonechka from time to time.
Not much is known about Tonechka's birthday and age, as she has chosen to keep almost the entirety of her life private. However, Sabalenka, being a loving elder sister, sent her birthday wishes to Tonechka with a caption, which also featured a handful of love emojis.
"Happy birthday my beautiful sis. Love you so much," Sabalenka wrote in an Instagram post.
Tonechka and Aryna were born to father Sergey Sabalenka, who was a former ice hockey player, and mother Juliya. Their father died in 2019 due to meningitis complications at the age of 43 — an incident which had a profound effect on the current World No. 2's life.
In 2023, Sabalenka also honored Tonechka's wish on the tennis court. The moment came after the 25-year-old's second-round win against Camila Osorio at the Madrid Open. According to Sabalenka, she had promised to greet Tonechka on camera, and during the post-match on-court interview, she did exactly that.
"I promised my sister to say 'Hi' to her, so 'Hi Tonya, I love you and I miss you'," Sabalenka said.
Aryna Sabalenka laid bare her sister and mother's importance after 2024 Australian Open win
Aryna Sabalenka's 2024 Australian Open win was a masterclass in power tennis executed to perfection. The big-hitting Belarusian did not drop a single set in the tournament, and the only one who came close to taking one off her was Coco Gauff in the semifinals. However, even Gauff's incredible athleticism was no match for Sabalenka's raw power and aggression.
In the final, Sabalenka made short work of Zheng Qinwen, and comfortably won 6-3, 6-2. The day after clinching the title, Sabalenka revealed that this time around, she did not think too much about her promise of winning two Grand Slams before she turned 25 to her late father.
"I would say last year it was a lot in my head and that's why I was crying a lot. This year, not really, to be honest. I'm more thinking about my mom and my sister and my family who are still here with me. They are my biggest motivation right now." Sabalenka said to Vogue.
Sabalenka's mother, Juliya also followed up her daughter's Australian Open title by joking about the trophies. She urged Sabalenka to diversify her Grand Slam collection by winning other Majors as well.