Aryna Sabalenka reveals she visits church from time to time to light a candle for her late father but underlines that she is not the type of person who would ever post about that on social media.
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Six years ago, the Belarusian tennis star experienced one of the most traumatizing events of her life after her father Sergey suddenly fell ill with meningitis and died at the age of 43.
Over the years, the current world No. 1 has never hid how much her father - who was a former Belarusian hockey player - meant to her.
Im really open. But I have to say, when I lost my dad, from time to time, I would go to the church and put a candle for his memory and the memory of my grandfather," Sabalenka told Flaunt Magazine.
"Its something you never show on social media. Im not gonna be the one in the church filming."
Sabalenka kept promise to her father
Before her father suddenly passed away, the Belarusian had a pact with him that she would have at least two Grand Slams by the age of 25.
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In 2023 January, she finally became a Grand Slam winner after beating Elena Rybakina in the Australian Open winner.
12 months later, the current world No. 1 landed her second Major after successfully defending her title at Melbourne Park.
Sabalenka's second Grand Slam title came just four months before her 26th birthday.
"Of course he (her father) is my biggest motivation he's been everything for me," the Belarusian said after beating Zheng Qinwen in the 2024 Australian Open final.
"But right now, I have my mum, my sister who is here with me, and I feel like I have to think about them.
"I just feel that he's always with me."
In the last six months, Sabalenka also won her first US Open title but also lost a thriller Australian Open final to Madison Keys.
