Aryna Sabalenka
But meanwhile, in Rome, Ons Jabeur snatched some quality one-one-one time with Aryna Sabalenka’s “tour soulmate” Paula Badosa.
The final day of Aryna Sabalenka’s 25th year saw her fall agonizingly short of defending her title at the Mutua Madrid Open, as she failed to convert on any of three championship points in a three-hour classic against Iga Swiatek on Saturday that many hailed as the WTA match of the year so far.
The first day of her 26th year only added insult to injury: Attempting to recreate the recent “Knock, Knock, It’s My Birthday” TikTok trend where users show off how they’re celebrating, Sabalenka attempted to show off the sweet treat she was indulging in, only to have it slip off the plate on camera to her great shock.
The two-time Australian Open champion, to her credit, took the whole thing in stride.
“26 is off to a great start,” she wrote in the post’s caption, thanking fans for their birthday wishes, alongside a winking face.
https://www.instagram.com/arynasabalenka/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=c6b18741-b2d4-49e0-b849-7c7e6a068d1b
But if that wasn’t enough, Sabalenka will also have to work hard to win back the affections of her “tour soulmate” Paula Badosa when she heads to Rome, as Badosa and Ons Jabeur cracked a little joke at her expense Monday when the two shared a practice to kick off the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.
“Aryna, I don’t know where she is,” Jabeur quipped during the pair’s mic’d up water break. “She’s still celebrating her birthday!”
Last week in Madrid, where she won back-to-back matches for the first time this year, a good-spirited Jabeur joked that she’s the “psychologist” in Badosa and Sabalenka’s longstanding friendship, after Sabalenka had previously dubbed Jabeur her “bestie” to go along with Badosa “soulmate” title.
“I love both, obviously,” Jabeur said. “I think Aryna and Paula have the connection of the fashion: ‘I wore this, I wore that, I bought this new purse,’ and I go to the real thing. ‘What do you need? Let’s go have dinner.’ They’re unbelievably nice people.”
You're out there playing a final and @Ons_Jabeur steals your best friend.
Can't trust anybody, @SabalenkaA 😅#IBI24 | @WTA | @paulabadosa pic.twitter.com/ncmNDUFyLq
— Internazionali BNL d'Italia (@InteBNLdItalia) May 6, 2024
But it all won’t do much to deter Sabalenka’s love for Rome, which she dubbed one of her favorite tournaments. She was hoping to soothe her Madrid heartbreak, too, with all of Italy’s famous culinary delights.
“The first thing comes to my mind, I’m ready for pasta,” she said Saturday in Madrid, laughing. “Pasta, pizza, and lots of gelato.”
“We don’t have much time to relax, enjoy, or drink,” she continued on the quick turnaround between the two WTA 1000 events. “I have a couple extra days to recover, to enjoy Rome, to enjoy this amazing pasta and pizza and everything what I’m not able to eat during the tournament.
“But I’m excited. It’s one of my favorite tournaments. It’s such a beautiful facility and beautiful city. I love Rome, and I’m excited to get back there.”
