Tennis Star Wants Her Massive Engagement Ring to ‘Distract’ Opponents
If you’ve got it, flaunt it—especially when you’re driving a cross-court backhand.
The world’s number-one women’s tennis player hopes to keep her top-ranked status with the help of a shiny new accessory: her absolutely massive engagement ring.
Belarusian tennis superstar Aryna Sabalenka, 27, and Brazilian entrepreneur Georgios Frangulis, 37, got engaged on March 3 after Frangulis proposed with the impressive rock, estimated to be 12 carats.
Sabalenka attended Gucci's Fall/Winter 2026/2027 fashion show during Milan Fashion Week in Italy in February 2026.
Alessandro Garofalo/Reuters
Frangulis is the founder of the Açaí-centric brand Oakberry, which Sabalenka has collaborated with on social media partnerships.
“Playing with the ring on for the first time,” a reporter noted during a press conference at the BNP Paribas Open, a 16-day tennis tournament held at Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Palm Springs, California.
“It’s very comfortable,” Sabalenka said, smiling as she gazed at the enormous oval-cut diamond ring, which is set on a sparkly pavé band.
Aryna Sabalenka won Jaqueline Cristian 6-4 and 6-1 during Day 5 of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 08, 2026, in California.
Harry How/Getty Images
“Do you notice it when you play, or was there any worry about something happening to it during the match?” the reporter continued in an Instagram reel posted by the Tennis Channel.
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”Yeah, we double checked if there’s a possibility to lose a diamond, and there’s none, so I was pretty confident wearing this ring, and it feels pretty comfy," Sabalenka said.
Aryna Sabalenka's diamond ring shone almost as bright as her award when she received her 2025 WTA Player of the Year Award at the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 08, 2026, in California.
Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
“It feels shiny. I hope that my opponent will get distracted by this diamond and it’s gonna benefit me,” she added.
Notably, Sabalenka wore her engagement ring on her right hand because of her and her fiancé’s nationalities.
A closer look at Aryna Sabalenka's oversized, oval-cut diamond engagement ring.
Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
“In our countries—it works for Brazil and for Belarus—we wear it on the right hand,“ she told Tennis Channel in an interview. “And I believe, but I’m not sure right now, that when you get married, you change it for left hand.”
A worried-looking Georgios Frangulis watches Aryna Sabalenka's match against Laura Siegemund of Germany during the 2025 Wimbledon quarterfinals on July 8, 2025, in London, England. Sabalenka defeated Siegemund 4–6, 6–2, 6–4, but went on to lose against Amanda Anisimova in the next round.
Hannah Peters/Getty Images
Sabalenka went public with her engagement on Instagram last week, posting a video of the emotional moment when her now-fiancé knelt to pop the question.
In the caption, she wrote, “You & me, forever ♾️ 3.3.26 💍🤍”
Sabalenka shared details of the moment in an interview with Tennis Channel, revealing that she was not expecting the proposal at all.
“I didn’t even wash my hair, I was so tired,” she said.
Her manager ushered Sabalenka to “a quick 15-minute meeting,” and she put on jeans, flip-flops, and a T-shirt.
Georgios Frangulis and Aryna Sabalenka at New York Fashion Week in 2024, ahead of the Off-White Show.
Jeremy Moeller/Getty Images
Sabalenka recalled thinking, “I don’t wanna do the makeup, I’m so tired,” and that she “was hungry as well.”
“When I got there, I was crying half the time because I looked ugly,” Sabalenka joked about the magical moment.
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