World No. 1 tennis player Aryna Sabalenka revealed plans to marry her partner, Georgios Frangoulis, in Greece in September 2027, in a wide-ranging interview with TIME magazine touching on family plans, the war in Ukraine, and her recovery from personal tragedy.
Ms. Sabalenka told TIME she hopes to start a family at age 32, then return to the tour for a few seasons before having a second child, though she noted the uncertainty of such plans, citing an old Jewish proverb about humans planning while God laughs.
"That's exactly what I want," she said, adding she's ready for whatever life brings.
The Belarusian player also discussed the fallout from Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, which was launched partly from Belarusian territory, describing painful exchanges with some of her Ukrainian coaching colleagues that left her deeply shaken.
She said she opposes the war and wants peace, but declined to discuss her views on Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Ms. Sabalenka reflected on the 2024 suicide of her former partner, Konstantin Koltsov, saying tennis helped her through a period of depression by giving her something to focus on besides her grief.
She also explained her on-court intensity and vocal outbursts as a necessary emotional release, saying suppressed negativity can otherwise build up and sap her competitive energy.
On the issue of transgender athletes in women's sports, Ms. Sabalenka said biological differences make competition between men and women inherently unfair, arguing it would not be fair for women to compete against biological men.
Looking ahead to retirement, she said she wants to be remembered as a fierce competitor on court but relaxed and balanced off it, stressing to young athletes the importance of not letting ambition consume their identity entirely.