Who are Aryna Sabalenka's parents? All you need to know about the US Open semifinalist's mother & late father who played pro ice hockey
Aryna Sabalenka once described her late father, Sergey, as her "biggest motivation, and although he is no longer here to watch her in person, she can be certain that she continues to make him extremely proud.
The Belarusian is currently living up to her status as the favorite for the 2024 US Open crown. She kicked off her campaign with dominant victories over Priscilla Hon and Lucia Bronzetti, before rallying from a set down to defeat Ekaterina Alexandrova in the third round. Sabalenka returned to her dominant best against former doubles partner Elise Mertens in the fourth round, sealing a routine 6-2, 6-4 win.
In the quarterfinals, she outclassed reigning Olympic gold medalist Zheng Qinwen, losing just three games en route to a 6-1, 6-2 route to secure her fourth consecutive semi-final at the event.
On the brink of her third major title and seeking redemption after losing in the final last year at Flushing Meadows, Sabalenka looks well on her way to building on her late father's Grand Slam ambitions for her.
Who are Aryna Sabalenka's parents?
Aryna Sabalenka was born in Minsk, Belarus, in 1998 to parents Sergey and Yulia Sabalenka. Sergey, a former ice hockey player, and a big sports buff, was the impetus to Aryna's interest in sports.
In an earlier interview, Sabalenka reflected on how her involvement in tennis came about purely by chance, and that it was all thanks to her father.
"One day, my dad was just driving me somewhere in the car, and on the way he saw tennis courts. So he took me to the courts. I really liked it and enjoyed it and that's how it was. That's how it started," Sabalenka was quoted as saying.
Sergey witnessed Sabalenka's debut on the tour in 2015. He sadly passed away at the age of 43 in 2019, just four years into his daughter's professional career, after battling meningitis.
Sabalenka, who took some time to recover from that tragedy, famously paid tribute to him after capturing her second Grand Slam title at the 2024 Australian Open against Zheng Qinwen.
“I lost my father four years ago,” she told reporters afterward. “We had one dream: that before 25, I will win a couple of Grand Slams.”
In that interview, she also admitted that there were many times she had lost faith but continued to fight to keep her father's dream alive.
Sabalenka's mother Yulia, on the contrary, has managed to stay out of the spotlight, with very little information available about her. However, she is extremely active on Instagram, where she regularly shares updates about her life, fashion, and family.