Aryna Sabalenka has joked that she hopes her diamond engagement ring will distract opponents but the world number one says it won’t hinder performances. The 27-year-old beat Japan’s Himeno Saktsume in straight sets at Indian Wells to move into the third round.
The Belarusian sported the oval-cut diamond ring for the first time in competition after her engagement to multi-millionaire Georgios Frangulis, earlier this week. Sabalenka is building up to the next Grand Slam as she looks to bounce back from her Australian Open final disappointment to Elena Rybakina. The 6-4 6-2 victory was the first appearance for Sabalenka since the defeat in Melbourne.
Sabalenka shrugged off questions regarding wearing the ring in competitive action. Equally, she dismissed the prospect of losing the diamond as the 27-year-old joked she hopes it can dazzle her rivals.
She said: « It feels super comfortable and shiny. We double-checked if there was a possibility to lose the diamond, and there was none.
“I was pretty confident wearing it, hoping it might even distract my opponent. » Tomorrow, Sabelenka will be back in action in the Round of 32 as she takes on Romanian Jaqueline Cristian.
The four-time Grand Slam winner also weighed in on the debate surrounding British number one, Emma Raducanu. The Brit also made a winning start to her Indian Wells campaign, with a 6-1 6-3 win over Anastasia Zakharova.
The 23-year-old has been without a coach since her split with Francisco Roig after the Australian Open but since, she will tap into people before settling on a permanent coach. Sabelenka has issued advice to Raducanu as the search continues.
She said: “I feel like maybe for her it’s a good decision. She just needs to choose carefully the person that she’s going to bring on her team.”
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