Aryna Sabalenka’s Indian Wells campaign began with both a victory on court and a personal milestone off it. The world No. 1 revealed that her recent engagement to partner Georgios Frangulis came as a complete surprise, explaining how the proposal was arranged by her team shortly before she began her run at the BNP Paribas Open.

The Belarusian opened her tournament with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima Sakatsume, advancing to the third round where she will face Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian. The match marked Sabalenka’s first appearance since reaching the Australian Open final earlier this season, where she finished runner-up after another deep run in Melbourne.

Indian Wells has long been one of the most prominent stops on the WTA calendar, often referred to as “Tennis Paradise,” and Sabalenka admitted that the location ended up becoming part of one of the most memorable moments of her personal life.

Speaking after her opening win, Sabalenka explained that the proposal was carefully organised by her team and fiancé, catching her completely off guard and leaving her initially more worried about how she looked than about the surprise itself.

Sabalenka described the engagement as an emotional moment that was orchestrated quietly behind the scenes. According to the Belarusian, nearly everyone around her was aware of the plan except for her.

Her agent had told her she needed to attend a brief meeting, encouraging her to dress nicely — advice she ultimately ignored after a long day. “Well, as everyone probably saw, I wasn't prepared at all. It was a surprise, and I know it happened the 3rd,” the four-time Grand Slam champion explained during her press conference. “The whole team knew. My agent told me that I have a very important meeting for 15 minutes. Just put on something nice. I was super tired in the evening. I was like, okay, I'm not going to do that. I'll just wear jeans.”

When Sabalenka arrived at the location — a rented house prepared for the occasion — she realised what was happening. Her reaction, however, was not exactly what she expected.

“Then we got there and I saw Georgios and I was crying half of the time, because I thought that I looked ugly, not prepared, and this is such a beautiful moment. I stopped everything and asked the videographer and photographer to make sure my face is not there, just the ring.”

Despite the unexpected circumstances, Sabalenka described the moment as deeply meaningful, even though she had suspected something might happen during the tournament. “Yeah, it was a beautiful moment. I was surprised even though I kind of knew, had a feeling that it's going to happen here. But he still managed to do a surprise.”

While the engagement story dominated much of the discussion, Sabalenka also delivered a solid performance on court to start her Indian Wells campaign. Against Himeno Sakatsume she produced an outstanding serving display, landing 87% of her first serves, winning 79% of those points and 83% on second serve — an almost flawless serving performance without conceding a single break point to her opponent.

The Belarusian had not played since the Australian Open, where she reached the final earlier this season. Returning to competition after several weeks away, she said she was pleased with the level she produced against Sakatsume. “Super happy with the level I played. Super happy to get this win. I haven't played for a while after Australian Open, and happy with the performance today.”

Sabalenka gradually took control of the match after a competitive opening set, relying on her aggressive baseline game and improved serving to dictate play. Two breaks in the second set allowed her to close out the victory comfortably. The win places Sabalenka into the third round of the WTA 1000 event, where she will face Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian as she continues her pursuit of another deep run in the California desert.

Sabalenka was also asked about Emma Raducanu’s recent comments regarding competing without a coach while she searches for the right long-term fit. The Belarusian said such an approach would be difficult for her personally, stressing the importance of her support team during tournaments.

Although Sabalenka described herself as mentally strong, she said the presence of coaches and staff plays a key role in maintaining balance during a demanding season. “I think for me personally it would be tough. Even though I'm mentally tough and strong, for me it's important to feel the support and to see my team in the box and just have my people around.”

Sabalenka added that she relies on her coaches to manage training and preparation, particularly because she tends to push herself too hard during practice sessions. “I just need the coach to schedule the practice, to make me do stuff and just so the only thing I'm worried about is my tennis, not which exercise I should do today or what I should work on.”

While acknowledging Raducanu’s challenges in finding the right coaching fit in recent seasons, Sabalenka suggested that taking time before committing to a new partnership could be beneficial. “I feel like maybe for her it's a good decision. She just needs to choose carefully the person that she's going to bring on her team.”