"My beautiful girl" - Aryna Sabalenka gushes over Paula Badosa as Spaniard shares candid image from Monaco vacation
Aryna Sabalenka gushed over Paula Badosa's candid image from her recent vacation in Monaco. The two WTA stars have forged a close friendship off the court.
Badosa has previously stated that Aryna Sabalenka is her "closest friend." Sabalenka has also expressed her fondness for the Spaniard in the past.
Currently enjoying a vacation in Monaco, Badosa posted a photo of herself enjoying a drink on Instagram.
The image garnered praise from Sabalenka, the two-time Grand Slam champion, who referred to Badosa as "My beautiful girl" in the comments.
"My beautiful girl," Sabalenka wrote.
Badosa's most recent match was a fourth round defeat at Wimbledon 2024, where Donna Vekic edged her out 2-6, 6-1, 4-6. The former World No. 2 later decided to skip the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris, stating that the change in surface could worsen her back, which is prone to injury.
Meanwhile, Sabalenka will also miss the upcoming Olympics because of a shoulder injury that was aggravated during her quarterfinal match at the Ecotrans Ladies Open. She was sidelined for the London Major due to the same injury.
It’s always tough to play against your best friend - Aryna Sabalenka on the challenge of facing Paula Badosa
Speaking at the press conference before her French Open match against Paula Badosa earlier this year, Sabalenka described the challenge of playing against the Spaniard and emphasized that they manage to keep their competitive spirit on the tennis court separate from their personal lives.
"It’s always tough to play against your best friend , but we know how to handle it and we separate tennis from personal life. It’s always a big battle and I enjoy playing against her, so it’s good for us to know how to separate things," Sabalenka said. (via Punto de Break)
Sabalenka added that her friendship with Badosa began three years ago and has grown stronger since they teamed up for doubles at the 2022 Miami Open.
Our friendship started three years ago in Los Angeles , then we played doubles together in Miami and since then we have become very good friends,” she added.
Sabalenka has played Badosa seven times in her career, holding a 5-2 advantage in their head-to-head record. Their latest meeting occurred at the 2024 French Open, where the Belarusian comfortably defeated the Spaniard 7-5, 6-1 in the third round.