Aryna Sabalenka admitted she lived out her dream by making her catwalk debut wearing a Gucci dress in Milan.
The world No 2 was inconsolable as she lost her US Open title in the final against her big rival Elena Rybakina earlier this month, but the smile was back for the Belarusian as she explored one of her big passions by stepping out as a model.
Sabalenka is a huge fan of fashion and she has emerged as one of the most prominent figures on social media, with her engaging TikTok and Instagram posts boosting her profile on and off the court.
She took exception to a reporter who asked whether she was spending too much time ‘partying’, as she rejected any suggestion that she is allowing her off court activities to affect her focus, so she will make no excuses for stepping into the modelling world during a break in her schedule.
“What a dream to walk the milan runway in @gucci 🤎 thank you @voguemagazine for having me,” wrote Sabalenka on Instagram, as she made her mark at a fashion show.
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Sabalenka has suggested she enjoys social media content creation, with her dancing and pranking with her friends and coaching team proving to be popular with her fans.
“You just forget about everything,” she said in an interview last year. “You try to dance, try to move your body, so for just that 30, 40 minutes, sometimes an hour, it’s just being focused on one thing and not thinking about other stuff. It’s just like a small getaway.”
She was also keen to strike back at her critics who claim she spends too much time with sponsors and social media activity as she spoke to Sky Sports during the US Open.
“It took me a little while to shut down those noises,” the four-time Grand Slam winner told Sky Sports Tennis. “There will always be people who support your choices, people who go against you, people who love you or hate you.
“I’m so tired of the miserable haters. I decided to stay strong with myself and trust the process, trust my choices and taste.
“Whoever loves me will be there no matter what. Haters can go and get on with their own lives.”
Sabalenka will not be changing her approach to the way she goes about her business any time soon and with her success on the court being backed up by huge sponsorship deals that are enhanced by her social media presence, she has no reason to alter the way she operates.
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