Tennis ace Aryna Sabalenka looked the picture of happiness after going public with her new boyfriend.
The world number two was all smiles as she walked hand-in-hand with dashing racing driver turned entrepreneur Georgios Frangulis at the weekend’s Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix in Italy.
Sabalenka, 26, posted pictures on social media taken at the Imola circuit as she took time off from preparations for the French Open which begins in Paris this weekend.
The photos and video footage were greeted with the usual complementary comments congratulating the ‘beautiful couple’ and wishing them the best for the future.
But the post also led to the two-time Grand Slam winner from Belarus ending up on the receiving end of a volley of cruel and hurtful remarks from those among her 1.8million followers who are less impressed with her latest love match.
Tennis star Aryna Sabalenka posted pictures on social media taken at the Imola circuit as she took time off from preparations ahead of Roland Garros this weekend
Sabalenka holding hands with new boyfriend Georgios Frangulis (pictured, centre) at the Emilia Grand Prix
But the post also led to the two-time Grand Slam winner from Belarus ending up on the receiving end of a volley of cruel and hurtful remarks
She previously dated Konstantin Koltsov, who left his wife and children to start an affair with her. He was found dead just weeks ago at a Miami hotel in a suspected suicide
Sabalenka sharing a kiss with Koltsov, who was a professional ice hockey star for his country
They refer to the tangled love life of the tennis star whose romances have caused controversy.
First there was former professional ice hockey star Konstantin Koltsov who left his wife and three children after beginning an affair with Sabalenka.
Tragically, Koltsov, 42, was found dead just weeks ago in a suspected suicide.
Now Brazilian-born Frangulis, 35, seems to be heading for the divorce courts after his wife apparently announced the end of their eight-year marriage.
After the couple were spotted sharing a kiss together at a recent tournament, one tennis fan is said to have sent a private message to Frangulis’wife Beh Armentano asking if Sabalenka had ‘disrupted her marriage’.
She reportedly replied: ‘I am married to Georgios but I will ask for a divorce. They’ve been having an affair since California’.
According to her Facebook page Armentano married Frangulis on October 1 2016.
In exchanges she describes him as ‘the love of my life. Meanwhile Frangulis has reportedly removed pictures of his wife from his own social media pages.
Frangulis is the founder of superfood brand Oakberry which sponsors American F1 team Haas.
It’s not clear when he first met Sabalenka but she too is linked to his brand after signing a two-year sponsorship deal in January – days before she successfully launched a bid to defend her Australian Open title.
Some fans expressed their shock that Sabalenka was making her new romance public so soon after the death of Koltsov after he fell 23 floors from the balcony of a five-star hotel in Miami on March 18.
Sabalenka – who is based in Miami – later revealed her four-year relationship with the former NFL star had ended before the tragedy happened.
She had faced a backlash when the romance began as Koltsov – a fellow Belarusian who represented his country in two Winter Olympics and was head coach of the national team – had enjoyed a lengthy marriage to estate agent and interior designer wife Julia Mikhailova.
Latvian-born Mikhailova was left heartbroken after Koltsov walked out of the family home when the youngest of their three children was still a toddler.
In an emotional Instagram message at the time of the split in April 2020, she posted a photograph of the couple sharing a kiss on a beach saying: ‘This will be the last photo with him on my Insta where we are together and where we were insanely happy!’
Koltsov had enjoyed a lengthy marriage to estate agent and interior designer wife Julia Mikhailova
Latvian-born Mikhailova was left heartbroken after Koltsov walked out of the family home while the youngest of their three children was still a toddler
Sabalenka burst onto the tennis scene as a teenager and quickly became one of the game’s most formidable opponents
Some fans expressed shock that Sabalenka was revealing her new romance so soon after Koltsov’s death
Explaining why she had moved into a new apartment she said: ‘We broke up. It happens – and it hurts.’
In the message, which was pointedly marked for Sabalenka attention, she referenced how she had been left bringing up three children including a son who was less than a year old.
Mikhailova added: ‘And an appeal to all the girls who are hanging on other people’s husbands with children in the family! This is mean!
‘This is the most amazing and the happiest time, but at the same time the most difficult, because a small child takes a lot of energy, energy and time… Maybe someday you’ll be there too…’
Since then Mikhailova appears to have forgiven Sabalenka explaining to one follower recently: ‘It was very painful then and the post was dictated by emotions. More than four years have passed and now I look at it from a different perspective.
‘We are in a good relationship with my ex-husband’s girlfriend.’
And in an interview with a Belarusian news website in the wake of her ex husband’s death she said: ‘She’s a nice girl. My post a few years ago was dictated by emotions, it was very painful. I loved Konstantin very much… but Sabalenka treated my children well, so I have a normal attitude towards her.’
Mikhailova told how she believed her husband had been drinking on the night of the tragedy and his death had been an accident.
She said Koltsov planned to visit her and sons Daniil, 18, Alexander, 16 and five-year-old Stefan at their home a mile away from the scene of the tragedy.
No suicide note was found and Mikhailova said her ex-husband was looking forward to having dinner with the children.
She declined to comment further on the affair when contacted by MailOnline saying: ‘I’m sorry I can’t talk right now – there is nothing to say.’
Sabalenka – who has two fearsome-looking tiger tattoos, one on her left forearm and the other on her upper left thigh – burst onto the scene as a teenager and quickly became one of the game’s most formidable opponents.
Aged just 19 she became engaged to a man who she has never named and whose identity remains a mystery.
After announcing the news in November 2019, she said: ‘It’s just an engagement. I am little bit against weddings, against it as an event like it is.’
It happened around the time Sabalenka’s father, Sergey, a former ice-hockey player who had helped launch her career, died suddenly aged just 43 after contracting meningitis.
Sabalenka was first publicly linked with Koltsov in June 2021 when the tennis star began posting frequent photos of them together on her Instagram account.
He became a frequent guest in the player’s box as he followed her on tour and Sabalenka referred to him as her ‘dearest person, my best friend, and my strongest support.’
Her career went from strength to strength during the relationship as she landed her first Grand Slam title at the 2023 Australian Open on the way to becoming the world’s number one.
Koltsov’s death happened just days before Sabalenka was due to play in the nearby Miami Open.
She decided to compete in the event and beat her best friend Paula Badosa in straight sets just four days after the tragedy before losing in the next round.
Sabalenka dining at a restaurant with Franqulis. One tennis fan is said to have sent a private message to his wife Beh Armentano asking if Sabalenka had ‘disrupted her marriage’.
Sabalenka holding the runners up trophy after losing to Iga Swiatek in the final of the Italian Open
She opted out of tournament press conferences but went on to speak of her heartbreak saying: ‘Konstantin’s death is an unthinkable tragedy, and while we were no longer together, my heart is broken.
‘I want to take a moment to say thank you to all my fans for your outpouring love and support during this difficult time.
‘Your kind words mean so much and I carry them with me every day.
‘I am so grateful for you all.’
She was first spotted in the arms of Frangulis at the Madrid Open last month.
Rumours of a relationship with another married man began to circulate.
Frangulis was in the stands after Sabalenka battled her way to the final of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia tournament in Rome last week.
After losing the match 6-2, 6-3 to Iga Swaitek, Sabalenka thanked Frangulis for being at her side saying: ‘Just like I promised, Georgios, thank you for your support.’
She went on to make a heart gesture with her hands and blew a kiss in his direction.
The couple went on to enjoy a dinner with friends at Rome’s Taverna Trilussa restaurant that evening before heading off to the Grand Prix the next day.
She’s now set to face her first big test on court as she competes for the second major trophy of the season – no doubt with Frangulis cheering her on all the way.