Interestingly, Aryna Sabalenka and her boyfriend, Brazilian entrepreneur Georgios Frangulis, were first spotted together during the Mutua Madrid Open in April 2024. Even at that time, she reached the final here, but she eventually had to go down to Iga Swiatek in that match in three sets. Fast forward twelve months, and Sabalenka is back again at the same stage, but as a world number one. Can she change her fortunes this time when she steps onto the court against America’s Coco Gauff on Saturday?

Time will tell, but there’s no shortage of support for the Belarusian superstar. Talking about support, in August 2024, during an interview with PEOPLE, Sabalenka reflected on her boyfriend being her “biggest” supporter through thick and thin over the past year. She revealed how he often tries to cheer her up by doing “some fun stuff,” and recently, her biggest supporter was spotted showing his pride after witnessing her incredible performance in the SF of the Madrid Open. What did he say?

Aryna Sabalenka’s beau dropped a lovely message highlighting her winning moment in this epic SF clash. He captioned that post with, “Another one.” Just a few days ago, he was also spotted adorably kissing a poster of the Belarusian star. Interestingly, the poster was of Oakberry, the brand founded by Frangulis. Sabalenka has also been very supportive of his superfood brand, Oakberry. In fact, she’s also their brand ambassador, and she has also created a signature acai bowl for the brand.

Talking about showing support, throughout their relationship, Frangulis has been a constant supporter of Sabalenka. In fact, he’s often seen in the stands cheering for his girlfriend during the intense moments of her matches. For example, he was spotted watching Sabalenka’s emphatic triumph at the Cincinnati Masters and the US Open last year. While talking about his incredible support, during the prize ceremony at the Cincinnati Masters, Sabalenka said, “Thank you to my boyfriend for keeping me happy every day.” Even after winning the US Open, she shared a few kind words on him, saying, “I’m so lucky to have you by my side. Your support is priceless.“

Coming back to his “priceless” support in her tennis journey, just a few weeks ago, Georgios Frangulis was spotted cheering for her from the player’s box at the Miami Open. Not only that, after seeing her title triumph over there, he even shared a picture of Sabalenka kissing the trophy and captioned it with, “The 305 Queen.” Later on, he even shared a candid dressing room shot featuring him and Sabalenka. It was captioned, “I’m taking both home tonight.” Even here in Madrid, when Sabalenka defeated Marta Kostyuk in the QF, he shared a glimpse of her winning moment with the caption, “That was crazy meu amor! @arynasabalenka. You f—ing rock.” What was his reaction after seeing her thrashing Elina Svitolina in the SF?

But when it comes to supporting Sabalenka in the Spanish capital, Georgios Frangulis isn’t her only support here. She has been backed by his compatriots to a greater extent here. What is her message to all those Brazilian fans?

Aryna Sabalenka expresses her love and gratitude to all the Brazilian fans in Madrid

Aryna Sabalenka started her campaign with a 6-3,6-4 win over Anna Blinkova in the R64. Following that victory, she was asked to reflect a bit on the support she had received from the stands during her match. Replying to that, Sabalenka claimed, “That’s my people. I’m almost Brazilian right now.“

She further added, “I love it so much (being supported by fans from different nations). Honestly, every time I’m playing out there and I feel their support, there’s nothing better than that. And I’m really grateful for their support and it’s fun, and I really hope, not only my Brazilian community but… doesn’t matter where you’re from, I hope it’s going to grow, because I really have, like, sometimes when I play they scream my name, I get goosebumps. It’s an inspiration.”

Can this incredible support help her clinch the title for the third time (previously she won it in 2021 and 2023) in her career? Well, Sabalenka recently ended Elina Svitolina’s 11-match winning streak, and with this win at the Caja Magica, she has now taken her record to 22-4 in this tournament. Highlighting her incredible record here in the last few years, the on-court interviewer asked her if fans should file a petition to rename the stadium as La Caja de Sabalenka. In reply to that, she said, “Let’s ask people what they think. If they think we should, we should do that.“

Interestingly, the world number trails by 4-5 to Coco Gauff. Do you think she can pull things in her favor in their tenth encounter or will the American have the last laugh this time?