Sabalenka: "I hope my opponents get distracted by the diamond"

Fernando Murciego | 7 Mar 2026 | 01.40

Sabalenka: "I hope my opponents get distracted by the diamond." Source: WTA

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After many months of begging for it, Aryna Sabalenka finally got her partner to kneel down and propose to her. An event that has given her motivation to start off wonderfully at the WTA 1000 in Indian Wells 2026.

This is evident in the score of her first match in the main draw, with a resounding victory against Japanese Himeno Sakatsume in just six games. A very smooth debut for the current World No. 1, as expected. Later in the press conference, beyond a match that was at times a mere formality, the Minsk native faced several questions related to the marriage proposal made by her partner a few days ago here in California. How was it? Did she expect it? How did she react to the surprise? In the midst of one of the most important events on the calendar, Aryna demonstrates that she already has enough maturity to deviate from the script without it affecting her on the court.

Straightforward match to start in Indian Wells

“I'm super happy with the level of play I've shown, super happy with this victory. I hadn't played for a long time since the Australian Open, so I'm very happy with my performance today."

Aryna Sabalenka and the feeling of playing with the engagement ring

“It's very comfortable. We did some prior testing to see if there was any risk of losing the diamond while playing, but there isn't any. I was quite confident wearing the ring in the match, it feels very comfortable, it feels shiny (laughs). I hope my opponents get distracted by this diamond and it benefits me (laughs).”

Sabalenka explains how her partner proposed to her

“As everyone saw in the video, it wasn't something planned. It was a surprise, but the whole team knew about it. My agent told me I had a very important meeting in 15 minutes, I didn't even have any makeup on, it was night, I was super tired, so I went in jeans. Then we arrived and I saw Georgios who was crying, I think it was because he saw me looking a bit undone, so the moment wouldn't be that beautiful. Then I asked the photographer to stay away from my face, to focus solely on the ring, but it was a beautiful moment. It surprised me, although I had a feeling it would happen here, but still he managed to make it a surprise.”

Aryna Sabalenka after her first victory in Indian Wells 2026. Source: Getty

Can you imagine one day working without a coach?

“For me, it would be very difficult. Even though I am mentally very tough and strong, it is vital for me to feel that support and see the team in my area, just having them close. Right now, I can't see myself without a coach. Although I am smart and would like to know everything, I don't like going to training and doing everything on my own, it takes too much energy. I need the coach to plan the practice, to make me think and do things, so that I only have to worry about tennis. It would be difficult for me, I fought for a long time until finding the right coach, but maybe for Emma it's a necessary break. There's no rush, she can't just hire anyone, that would only bring more problems.”

Diving into the world of fashion

“I love the way I'm doing it now, but I feel it would be much more fun if other girls were full of glamour, because I really think there are many girls on this circuit who are tremendously elegant and beautiful. Most of the time we see ourselves as we are in the middle of a match, but then it feels great to show another side of you. I feel like people know we can look good, but it would be fabulous to do many more glamorous events where everyone can have fun, I would really like that.”

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Sabalenka: “Espero que mis oponentes se distraigan con el diamante”