"Nike really waited for her to get World No. 1" - Fans speculate as Aryna Sabalenka seemingly gets new tiger-themed logo ahead of WTA Finals
Aryna Sabalenka recently teased a new custom tiger-themed logo which sparked speculations among tennis fans. The Belarusian is sponsored by sporting goods giant 'Nike', which has designed custom logos for popular athletes in the past, most notably Micheal Jordan and Rafael Nadal.
Sabalenka has been donning Nike apparel since 2017. The Belarusian has since come a long way, winning three Majors, becoming the World No. 1, and earning many more titles and accolades.
Her stupendous tennis resume, according to many, warranted some customized apparel. However, fans have often expressed their disappointment with her outfits, and after the Belarusian clinched the 2024 US Open, many of them called for Nike to design custom kits for the World No. 1.
Now, in her Instagram stories, Aryna Sabalenka seemingly teased a new custom logo. She posted a photo of her Nike shoes, which had a tiger logo on it. A fan took to X (formerly Twitter) wondering if a custom logo for her was finally happening after all the discussion.
Sabalenka popularly associates herself with the tiger and even has a tattoo of the animal on her arm. She was also born in the year of the tiger, according to the Chinese Zodiac.
Other fans' speculations on social media swiftly followed. One fan joked about Nike waiting for Aryna Sabalenka to become World No.1.
"Nike really waited for her to get #1 to get her custom stuff… the 2 slams in a year weren’t enough??" the fan wrote.
Another fan asked Nike to give the 26-year-old a custom kit at the WTA Finals.
"What about a new tiger themed kit for WTA finals?!!!!!! Like PLEASE," the fan wrote.
Here are some more fan reactions:
"They better be. She’s won two slams this year and became world no1 again, if that doesn’t warrant a custom logo then," a fan said.
"I mean she won two slams and got to number one, they better give her something CUSTOM. I don’t want to see her in something that a girlie ranked 20 places lower is wearing at this point," a fan opined.
"i need a meow shoe right now," a fan asked.
"Not her being marketable," a fan quipped.
"wait do i sense a new kit for wta finals???" a fan felt.
Interstingly, Aryna Sabalenka's fellow Nike athlete Carlos Alcaraz, according to reports, iss also getting a new logo.
In on-court matters, meanwhile, Aryna Sabalenka will be the top seed at the upcoming WTA Finals.
Aryna Sabalenka will headline WTA Finals as the top seed
Aryna Sabalenka will play at the 2024 WTA Finals as the top seed. She reclaimed the World No. 1 position from Iga Swiatek when the WTA penalized the two women for not participating in the minimum number of WTA 500 events. While Sabalenka lost only 10 points, Swiatek lost 120 points, which gave the Belarusian the lead in the rankings.
However, the year-end World No. 1 title will be on the line when the two women play at the WTA Finals. They will be joined in Riyadh by Coco Gauff, Jasmine Paolini, Elena Rybakina, Jessica Pegula, Zheng Qinwen, and Barbora Krejcikova.
Swiatek will be the defending champion. Interestingly, she defeated Sabalenka en route to the title last year.
The 2024 WTA Finals will kick off on November 2.