Aryna Sabalenka started her short off-season break not with a flashy vacation or a media blitz, but with a soft, genuinely sweet family moment. After landing in Brazil this week for a sponsor commitment, the World No. 1 marked her arrival by posting a heartwarming photo alongside Ana Helena Puccetti the mother of her boyfriend, Brazilian entrepreneur Georgios Frangulis.
It was the kind of candid, playful introduction (“mother-in-law,” she joked) that instantly lit up her social feed and offered a rare peek into the more personal corners of her life as she transitions into a busy round of post-season obligations.
A Warm Welcome After a Heavy-Hitting Season
Sabalenka’s Brazil stop comes on the heels of yet another powerhouse campaign. She ended her 2025 season as runner-up at the WTA Finals in Riyadh not the ending she wanted, perhaps, but still a fitting close to a year overflowing with marquee results. Two major finals, at the Australian Open and Roland Garros. A US Open title. And, of course, a season spent stewarding the top spot in the global rankings. It’s the kind of résumé players dream about, yet Sabalenka made it feel almost routine.
Now, with competition on pause for just a few weeks, she’s pivoted to sponsor events, outreach appearances, and the inevitable fan-facing duties that come with being one of the sport’s most visible stars. And woven through all of that is her relationship with Frangulis a storyline that has quietly evolved into its own fan intrigue since the pair went public last year. Their growing bond often feels like a soft counterbalance to the high-stakes intensity of her on-court life, and followers have been watching it blossom with no small amount of affection.
Instagram Moments: Sabalenka’s Playful Brazil Greeting
The Instagram post fueling all the chatter showed Sabalenka and Puccetti smiling during a car ride shortly after she touched down. In the caption, the Belarusian affectionately labeled Puccetti as “minha sogrinha” Portuguese for “my mother-in-law” complete with a heart emoji that made the joke land even cuter.
She followed it up with “Oi Brazil. Tudo bem?”, a warm, simple greeting that instantly connected with her Brazilian followers. (And let’s be honest athletes who try the local language always score extra points with fans.)
Sabalenka’s schedule in Brazil includes a Stella Artois event, one of her signature sponsorships, plus additional meet-ups featuring Brazilian tennis names such as Beatriz Haddad Maia and former world No. 1 Gustavo Kuerten. For local fans, it’s a rare chance to encounter the reigning WTA titan up close.
What She’s Actually Said About Family Plans
Of course, any time Sabalenka posts something involving her partner’s family, the speculation machine revs up. And she hasn’t exactly shut the door on the subject. In fact, after her run in Riyadh, she spoke about future family plans during an interview with Alexander Sokolovsky and her reflections were surprisingly candid.
When she was younger, Sabalenka imagined a very tidy timeline: dominate tennis by 25, have a baby, then return to keep winning everything in sight. Reality, of course, had different ideas.
“At 18, I thought by 25 I’d win everything I wanted. At 25, I’d have a baby, come back, and keep winning,” she said. “25 came, and I won some stuff, then I thought maybe 27 or 28. Now I’m 27 and I’m like, well, a bit later, yeah, we’ll move it. I realized I want to get the most out of my career, see how far I can go.”
It’s an honest admission and one many top athletes can relate to. Dreams shift, schedules stretch, and the appetite to push the limits of a career doesn’t always arrive with an expiration date.
Sabalenka added that she still envisions starting a family within the next five years, though she stressed that the timeline is flexible. She adores children, she said, but right now, her tennis ambitions still take top billing. And really, who could blame her? When you’re sitting at No. 1 with momentum to burn, it’s hard not to keep chasing that ceiling.
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