Aryna Sabalenka hasn’t even played her first match at the BNP Paribas Open this year, but she’s already a winner.
Sabalenka, the world’s No. 1 women’s tennis player, got engaged Tuesday night in Indian Wells as her boyfriend, Georgios Frangulis, got down on one knee and proposed with flowers and candles all around them.
She went public with the news around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday night with a video showing the proposal on Instagram to her 4.7 million followers, with the text “You and me, forever (infinity sign) 3.3.26 (ring emoji) (white heart emoji).”
In the video, the 27-year-old Sabalenka was wearing jeans and a white T-shirt, swaying back and forth in what looked a combination of disbelief and glee. The video showed the moment and the very large ring. In a follow-up post, a beaming Sabalenka jokingly chided her team for not giving her a heads up so she could look a little more presentable.
Who is Georgios Frangulis?
Frangulis is a 38-year-old from Brazil who is the founder of Oakberry, the popular health food franchise that specializes in acai bowls and smoothies. He reportedly has a net worth of more than $200 million.
Sabalenka is currently a spokesperson for the brand.
They met at an F1 race in early 2024 and began dating later that year.
This will be his second marriage.
Sabalenka may have given him a nudge earlier this year
After she won the Brisbane International event in January, this is what Sabalenka on the court as she was thanking people:
“Last but not least, thank you to my team for handling me. I really am the toughest to handle and you are the toughest in the world because you can handle me,” she said. “Thank you to my boyfriend … Hopefully soon I can call you something else.”
Sabalenka in Indian Wells
Earlier in the day Tuesday, Sabalenka met with the assembled media for her pre-tournament interview as the top seed and No. 1 player in the world.
She then hit the practice courts, which immediately became full of fans craning their necks to catch a glimpse of the global star.
Sabalenka is one of the most accomplished players in women’s tennis with four grand slam titles, yet she has never won the BNP Paribas Open despite making the finals twice, both last year and in 2023.
Her first match this year will be Friday.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka gets engaged in Indian Wells
Reporting by Shad Powers, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
