NEW YORK—Wedding bells started ringing on Louis Armstrong Stadium when the jumbotron captured a fan proposal in the stands during Aryna Sabalenka’s US Open third round vs. Leylah Fernandez.
Sabalenka betrayed no emotion as the crowd cheered their embrace but revealed after clinching a 6-3, 7-6 (2) win over Fernandez that she saw the whole thing—and hoped at least one person in the crowd was getting ideas:
Q. I was wondering if you noticed the mid-match marriage proposal that happened.
ARYNA SABALENKA: Yes, I saw that.
Q. Is that the first time that happened? And what do you make of that happening during your match?
ARYNA SABALENKA: I think it’s the first time that someone proposed during my match. It was a very sweet moment, but I was just trying not to start smiling, because it’s very cute and I believe they’re super happy right now.
I was just trying to keep focusing on my game, and it was great moment, and as I said on court, I wish them happy marriage (smiling).
Q. Are you hoping somebody else in the crowd got some ideas after watching that?
ARYNA SABALENKA: I don’t want this kind of proposal. But I looked at my boyfriend. Yeah (smiling). No pressure.
The defending champion has been dating Oakberry founder and CEO Georgios Frangulis since last year, Sabalenka releasing a signature acai bowl ahead of the 2024 US Open.
“We both love Oakberry!” Sabalenka laughed earlier this year at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
“It’s a healthy snack and you can fill it with anything: carbs, protein, whatever you want,” she told me last summer. “So, it’s actually like a real meal, and it’s a good snack after the match for recovery as well.”
Sabalenka will hope to ring a few bells of her own as she continues her title defense in the fourth round against Cristina Bucșa.