Tennis Star Aryna Sabalenka Reveals Her Other No. 1 Goal Without Hesitation
Aryna Sabalenka, the world's No. 1 women's tennis player, has surprised fans with a bold admission: she wants to be number one in another arena — modeling.
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In a recent interview with GQ, Sabalenka was asked what else she would love to be ranked No. 1 in, besides tennis.
Without hesitation, the 27-year-old from Belarus responded, 'Modeling.'
She then playfully struck a pose, pretending she was in front of cameras on a fashion shoot.
Away from talk of fashion, Sabalenka has been making waves on the tennis courts. She began her 2025 Wimbledon campaign with a strong win over Canada's Carson Branstine, beating her 6-1, 7-5 in a 73-minute match on No. 1 Court.
After the match, Sabalenka shared her thoughts on the ongoing debate about women playing best-of-five sets in Grand Slam events, similar to the men's format. Though she is known for her strength, Sabalenka said she wasn't in favor of longer matches.
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'Probably physically, I'm one of the strongest ones, so maybe it would benefit me. But I think I'm not ready to play five sets,' Sabalenka said, according to AP News. 'I think it's too much on the woman's body. I think we're not ready for this amount of tennis. I think it would increase the amount of injuries. So I think this is not something I would consider.'
World's No. 1 women's tennis player, Aryna Sabalenka is reflecting on her desire to become No. 1 in another field.© Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
She added that while watching long matches — like the recent French Open men's final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner — was exciting, she wouldn't want to spend five hours battling on court herself.
'For someone watching, it's amazing to see five hours of great tennis. But I'm not really jealous to stay there for five hours as a player,' she said.
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As Sabalenka continues her quest for her first Wimbledon title, fans will be eager to see whether her off-court dream of modeling becomes a reality one day.
Related: Emma Raducanu Addresses Relationship Speculation With Carlos Alcaraz: 'I'm Glad...'
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
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