Aryna Sabalenka has to hide her tennis bag and shoes at Indian Wells | Tennis | Sport

Aryna Sabalenka has shared that she has to hide her tennis bag and shoes while in Indian Wells from her new King Cavalier Cocker Spaniel puppy, Ash. The world No.1 announced Team Tiger’s new addition barely a day before getting engaged to Georgios Frangulis after two years of dating the Brazilian entrepreneur.

Both significant life events came in the week that the first Masters 1000 event of the season, often dubbed ‘the fifth Grand Slam’, began in California. Sabalenka won the tournament as a doubles player with Elise Mertens in 2019, but has yet to repeat that success in the singles draw, losing two of the last three finals.

A fourth round match against either Camila Osorio or Naomi Osaka awaits after beating Jaqueline Cristian in straight sets, 6-4, 6-1, on Sunday. Speaking to Sky Sports courtside after that win, Sabalenka said: “It’s been a busy week, puppy, engagement, huge tennis tournament.

“The puppy is just something that brings us joy; it’s a little cuddly thing.” She acknowledged that Ash is a chewer, explaining: “No shoes (are left out), all my bags are really hidden.

“But he’s a good boy, he’s been behaving well. He wasn’t really jumping too much in my stuff lately, but I can see that he is growing and getting crazier and crazier.

“The other day, he ran from the house. He wanted to play, so I have to be careful, and I definitely need to hire a trainer.”

Sabelenka also spoke at length about Ash on Tuesday. She said: “He’s the cutest dog, I feel like, on earth. My fitness coach got him in Seattle, so he was with Jason [Stacy] for a couple of weeks.

“Then I just met him a couple of days ago. He’s almost four months old, he’s so cute, a little fluffy thing that is so cuddly, so cute, and brings lots of joy and fun, more fun in the team.”

Mirra Andreeva, who beat Sabalenka in last year’s final, also has her dog, an ultra-mini labradoodle called Rassy, in Indian Wells. She has joined the reigning champion out on the practice courts, and Andreeva spoke about the stress of missing the puppy she got in November during the Adelaide International in January.

Andreeva said: “It’s pretty stressful. I haven’t seen her for two-and-a-half weeks now, since I’ve been in Australia, so it’s pretty tough. She’s a new member of the family. Me and my mom are here in Australia, and now she’s with my sister and my dad, so at least she’s with another part of the family. I miss her a lot, and I just wish that she could travel with me to all the tournaments.