Aryna Sabalenka opened her 2026 season with another Brisbane International title and a humorous moment that stole the spotlight during the trophy ceremony. As the World No. 1 celebrated a flawless title defense, she made it clear she might soon want to upgrade the label she uses for her partner, Georgios Frangulis, joking that she does not want to call him her “boyfriend” anymore.
Aryna Sabalenka’s Dominant Brisbane International Run and Boyfriend’s Support
Sabalenka began her 2026 season at the Brisbane International as the top seed and defending champion, launching her title defense in commanding fashion. After receiving a first-round bye, she opened her campaign with a dominant 6-0, 6-1 win over Spain’s Cristina Bucsa. She then defeated Sorana Cîrstea 6-3, 6-3 to reach the quarterfinals.
At this stage, Sabalenka faced fifth seed Madison Keys and secured a straight-sets victory, 6-3, 6-3. Continuing her unbeaten run, she then took on Karolína Muchová in the semifinals, prevailing 6-3, 6-4 to reach her third consecutive Brisbane final.
In the championship match, she clinched the women’s singles title by defeating 16th seed Marta Kostyuk 6-4, 6-3, completing an undefeated run at the tournament and successfully defending her crown en route to her 22nd career singles title.
During the trophy presentation ceremony, she thanked her team, saying, “Thank you my team for handling me. I mean, I’m really the toughest one to handle, and you guys are the toughest people in the world if you can handle me.”
She then turned to her partner, Frangulis, adding with a grin, “Thank you to my boyfriend. Hopefully soon I’ll call you something else, right? Let’s just do that. Let’s just put an extra pressure, right?” to which the crowd responded with laughter.
Aryna Sabalenka after winning back to back Brisbane titles:
“Thank you to my boyfriend… hopefully soon I can call you something else” pic.twitter.com/VCLdkJXLBg
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) January 11, 2026
In the women’s doubles competition at the 2026 Brisbane International, Sabalenka did not capture a title. The Belarusian tennis star partnered with her close friend Paula Badosa, and the duo began their run with a straight-sets win against Zhang Shuai and Liudmila Samsonova, edging both tiebreaks 7-6(2), 7-6(3). However, their stint together was brief, as Badosa subsequently withdrew from the doubles draw.
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What Is the Backstory Behind Sabalenka’s Relationship With Georgios Frangulis?
Sabalenka’s on-court exploits have increasingly intersected with her personal life, especially after her relationship with Brazilian entrepreneur Frangulis became public in 2024. Their connection traces back to her endorsement deal with Oakberry, the international açaí brand that Frangulis helped establish. Attention around the couple grew that spring when Frangulis was spotted in her player box during the Madrid Open.
By the middle of 2024, the pair confirmed their romance on Instagram, and his appearances at her matches soon became a regular occurrence, extending to Grand Slam events. Throughout 2025, they were frequently seen traveling together, posting holiday moments, and making shared appearances on tour, with Sabalenka occasionally alluding to him in light-hearted remarks during interviews.
