How a business deal turned into love for tennis star Aryna Sabalenka and multimillionaire Georgios Frangulis

When World No. 1 tennis player Aryna Sabalenka started dating Georgios Frangulis two years ago, the public was initially confused about the timing of their relationship.

Sabalenka had been in a long-time relationship with fellow Belarusian and professional ice hockey player Konstantin Koltsov, whose death was announced in March 2024.

It was Frangulis who was by her side as she mourned her former partner. Now, as they celebrate their engagement, let's look back at their love story, including how they first met.

Sabalenka was born in Minsk, Belarus, on May 5, 1998, to mother Yulia and dad, Sergey, who was an ice hockey player. She also has a younger sister, Tonechka.

Her father died suddenly in 2019 at the age of just 43 after falling ill with meningitis.

Sabalenka reportedly started playing tennis at six after her father drove past a tennis court and decided to stop.

"He took me to the courts. I liked it and enjoyed it, and that's how it was. That's how it started," she once said.

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A heartbreaking loss

In 2021, Sabalenka began dating Belarusian professional ice hockey player Konstantin Koltsov, who was 17 years her senior.

They went Instagram official in a post on her account that June, with the tennis star writing, "It's good when there is someone who is able to understand my madness".

She again took to social media to celebrate his 42nd birthday in April 2023, and included a slideshow of photos and videos of the pair together.

Over the next years, she shared photos of their overseas travels and occasionally his three children from a previous marriage.

On March 18, 2024, his former club announced Koltsov had died by apparent suicide, after falling from the balcony of a luxury resort in Florida.

Days later, Sabalenka revealed she and Koltsov were not together at the time of his death, although she did not say when they broke up.

Instead, she took to Instagram to describe his death as an "unthinkable tragedy".

"While we're no longer together, my heart is broken," she wrote, adding, "Please respect my privacy and his family's privacy during this difficult time".

New love

Soon after Koltsov's passing, news broke that Sabalenka was dating Georgios Frangulis, the Brazilian entrepreneur, and founder and chief executive of the global health food brand Oakberry, which is best known for its açaí products.

The two reportedly first met in early January 2024 on a professional basis when she became a brand ambassador for Oakberry.

Sabalenka has acknowledged she was still in a relationship with Koltsov at the time.

She told The Guardian last year, "We signed the contract, then we got to know each other. Somehow, we ended up being together."

It has been reported that following Koltsov's death, Frangulis was a shoulder to cry on.

It is not clear when the relationship turned romantic.

Just one month after Koltsov's death, Frangulis was pictured in the stands cheering Sabalenka on at the Madrid Open.

He was also in the stands at the Cincinnati Masters and the US Open.

Then in July of that year, the two went Instagram-official when Frangulis posted photos of the pair, including one of them kissing.

"I'm in love with the Queen of NY," he wrote, in reference to her US Open win.

That same month, Sabalenka referred to Frangulis as the love of her life in a comment on one of his posts.

Sabalenka marked his birthday on Instagram that September, writing, "Happy birthday meu amor, I'm so lucky to have you by my side.

"Your support is priceless."

In June 2025, Sabalenka told Us Weekly in June 2025, she relied on Frangulis.

"His support means so much to me," she said.

"Being on the road and having him support me, to make me laugh and to be able to work out together, makes life on the road feel more like home."

When she won her second back-to-back US Open title in September 2025, they sealed the win with yet another courtside kiss.

However, it hasn't been smooth sailing for the couple, with the Daily Mail reporting in 2025 that Frangulis was still married to his wife of eight years, Isabella 'Beh' Armentano.

The Daily Mail reported that when a fan asked Armentano if Sabalenka had 'disrupted her marriage', she replied: "I am married to Georgios but I will ask for a divorce. They've been having an affair since California".

Engagement hints

Sabalenka first started hinting that she was hoping her beau would pop the questoin in August 2025.

After a couple in the stands got engaged during a US Open match she played in, she admitted afterwards she had "looked at my boyfriend" for his reaction, before adding, "no pressure".

Then on January 11, 2026, after defeating Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk at the Brisbane Open, she gave a shoutout to Frangulis.

"Thank you to my boyfriend... hopefully soon I can call you something else," she quipped, as the cameras showed him laughing nervously in the stands.

Sabalenka, 27, finally got her wish this week when Frangulis popped the question.

The happy couple shared the news with their Instagram followers, first with a video showing the moment he surprised her.

This was then followed by another post showing a series of photos and a video of the romantic proposal along with the caption, "I can finally call him something else… FIANCÉ".

The video began with Frangulis going down on one knee in front of a surprised Sabalenka, who was casually dressed in a white T-shirt and jeans, and with her hair in a messy plait.

Sabalenka later confirmed she was not expecting the proposal, hence her dressed-down look.

In the video, she can be seen covering her face with her hands as Frangulis opened a ring box.

Inside, was a dazzling ring featuring an enormous oval diamond. It was later revealed that hidden underneath were up to two dozen emeralds.

After popping the question, the two embraced before sharing a kiss.

Frangulis appeared to have put a lot of thought into the proposal, which took place outdoors, near a swimming pool, which was surrounded by hundreds of floral displays and candles.

He also arranged for someone to record the moment and take photos, which the couple shared on their Instagram accounts.

Nor did he spare any expense.

It was later reported that the ring was custom-made by US-based jeweller Isabela Grutman, in consultation with Franguliss, over a number of months.

Diamond expert Nick Ireland told nine.com.au the ring was worth between AU$1.4 million and $2 million.

"The main diamond is 12 carats, then you have possibly up to a carat of diamonds on the band itself," he said.

Also hidden underneath was a halo encrusted with emeralds, which is the tennis star's birthstone.

In an interview with People, Grutman said the emerald halo was Frangulis' idea.

"It's a personal touch that makes the ring uniquely hers," she told the outlet.

Wedding bells

While they are yet to announce any wedding plans, they will not have to worry about who foots the bill.

Frangulis, 37, has a reported net worth of $110 million, eclipsing his new fiancée, who is currently worth about $22 million.

However, at just 27, she has plenty of time to increase her earnings.

She also has friends in the tennis world to celebrate her upcoming marriage.

Sabalenka is friends with Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic and his wife Jelena, with the two even pictured on double dates together.

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