In the lush green backdrop of the grass-court season, Aryna Sabalenka, the world’s top-ranked women’s tennis player, is navigating the highs and lows of her 2025 campaign with unwavering determination and the steadfast support of her boyfriend, Georgios Frangulis. Following a stunning first-round exit at the Berlin Ladies Open on June 22, 2025, where she fell 6-4, 6-3 to Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova, the Belarusian star received a heartfelt message from Frangulis, a Brazilian entrepreneur and racecar driver. “You are my champion, always,” he posted on Instagram, accompanying a photo of Sabalenka with a purple heart emoji, a gesture that underscores their deep bond as she sets her sights on a maiden Wimbledon title. “It’s a tough one to swallow,” Sabalenka admitted post-match, but with Frangulis by her side, she’s ready to channel the disappointment into motivation for the All-England Club.
Sabalenka’s Berlin defeat marked a rare stumble for the 27-year-old, whose 47-7 win-loss record this year includes titles at the Brisbane International, Miami Open, and Madrid Open. As the top seed, she enjoyed a first-round bye but struggled against Kudermetova’s precision, committing 38 unforced errors in windy conditions. “I couldn’t find my rhythm today,” she said, reflecting on the match. “Grass is tricky, and I need to adjust quickly.” The loss, her first opening-round defeat since the 2024 German Open, came on the heels of a grueling clay-court season, where she reached the French Open final, falling 6-7, 6-2, 6-4 to Coco Gauff in a three-set epic. “It felt like a joke,” Sabalenka said of the Paris conditions, but her resilience shone through as she jetted off to Mykonos with Frangulis for a reset, indulging in “sugar and alcohol” to recharge.
The couple’s romance, blossoming since April 2024, has been a pillar of strength for Sabalenka, especially after the tragic loss of her ex-boyfriend, Konstantin Koltsov, in March 2024. Frangulis, the 36-year-old CEO of Oakberry, a superfood brand sponsoring the Haas F1 team, has been a constant presence in her player’s box, from Madrid to Miami, where Sabalenka clinched titles. “There was a really tough period where I was really happy to have him by my side,” she told People magazine, crediting his support during her 2024 Wimbledon withdrawal due to a shoulder injury. Their bond, playfully confirmed during Berlin’s 2024 “Phone Challenge” when Sabalenka named Frangulis’s Instagram as her favorite, has grown stronger, with her calling him “my love of my life” in a July 2024 post. His battle with thyroid cancer in 2016, revealed in a 2023 Forbes Brazil interview, adds depth to his inspiring presence.
Sabalenka’s Wimbledon aspirations are fueled by past near-misses. She reached the semifinals in 2021 and 2023, defeating Elena Rybakina and Ons Jabeur, but fell to Karolina Pliskova and Jabeur, respectively. Banned in 2022 due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and sidelined by injury in 2024, she’s now the pre-tournament favorite, with Andy Roddick declaring her “the absolute favorite” on grass. “I’m just trying to push myself to the limit and see how far I can get,” Sabalenka said, dismissing comparisons to rivals like Gauff or Iga Swiatek. Her 90% first-serve points won in past Wimbledon runs highlight her grass-court prowess, though Berlin’s 70 unforced errors signal a need for sharper focus.
As she prepares for Wimbledon, starting June 30, Sabalenka leans on Frangulis’s encouragement and her friendship with Paula Badosa, spotted together in Berlin. “Coco handled the conditions much better than I did,” she clarified on Instagram after controversial French Open comments, showing growth in handling adversity. With three Grand Slams—Australian Open 2023 and 2024, US Open 2024—and nine WTA 1000 titles, Sabalenka’s hunger for Wimbledon glory is palpable. Frangulis’s love, her team’s guidance, and her own fierce spirit make her a formidable contender, ready to turn Berlin’s shock into London’s triumph.
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