Mandatory Credit: Susan Mullane-Imagn Images

Aryna Sabalenka’s Tattoo: The Story Behind the Roar of the Belarusian

The story behind Aryna Sabalenka’s tiger tattoo and what it symbolizes for the fierce tennis star.

Mandatory Credit: Susan Mullane-Imagn Images

Aryna Sabalenka, the current World No. 1, has been on a tear this season with titles in Brisbane, Madrid, and Miami, along with several other finals. To add the grand icing to her 2025 cake, the 27-year-old won the US Open by beating Amanda Anisimova in the summit clash. A pro since 2015, she now holds 21 career singles titles, including four Grand Slams: the 2023 and 2024 Australian Open, the 2024 and 2025 US Open. What stands out in her fierce nature, aggressive style of play, and fighting spirit is reflected in the tattoo on her arm – the reason she is called ‘The Tigress.’ But what is the story behind it?

Aryna Sabalenka’s fierce energy isn’t just in her game… it’s inked on her skin and stitched into her kicks 🐯#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/jHFXlV1FpJ
— TNT Sports (@tntsports) June 3, 2025

The Tattoo That Fuels the Tigress Aryna Sabalenka – More Than Just Ink

Aryna Sabalenka has a tattoo of a tiger on her left forearm. Her birth year, 1998, the Chinese year of the Tiger, is symbolized by the tattoo. She explained the meaning of her ‘Tiger’ tattoo in a Tennis Channel interview last year. She said, “I was born in the year of the tiger and one day, I was sleeping and dreaming of a tattoo of a tiger and I just made it one day. I would like to have a nice walk with a tiger to have a nice picture with them to touch them, to feel them.”

Given that the Tigress has often been asked about her tattoo, Sabalenka revealed the story behind it in mid-2023. She shared that the tiger ink on her left forearm was done when she was just 18 and without her parents’ knowledge.

Sabalenka said, “I think I was 18 years old and my parents didn’t know, and when they saw it the first time, my dad was laughing. I don’t know why but my mom didn’t talk to me for one week, and then she said like ‘I hope it’s the first in the last one and I said ‘look mama the first one and the last one and then I turned out I said ‘Hopefully.’”

Aryna Sabalenka on Tiger Tattoo:

“I was born the year of the tiger. I was dating a guy covered in tattoos..I thought a tiger suits me. I’m a fighter. I never give up. I hated it at 1st, so did my parents. My mom didn't speak to me for a week. She said, 'What the f*** is this?”😂 pic.twitter.com/tZo316NmHz
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) June 25, 2023

She added, “It’s special, as sometimes I need to remind myself that I am the tigress and I need to fight till the end. I just put it on my arm to make sure I can see it every time and be on fire. Sometimes in the court, it reminds me that you need to fight for each point.”

Also Read: Iga Swiatek French Open Odds – Can the Queen of Clay Defend Her Roland Garros Crown?

2025 Roland Garros

Aryna Sabalenka

The Tigress

Rudra Dubey

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I’m an academic turned sports writer from Raipur, India, specializing in the NFL, MMA, and tennis at The Playoffs. I previously wrote for Sportskeeda and hold a B.A. and M.A. in History. My journey into sports media began far from the field, rooted in the arts and sciences. Funny enough, I didn’t grow up a sports fan; I used to see it all as just noise. But a fateful writing job introduced me to the world of sports, and what began as a gig quickly became a passion. I understood those voices aren’t noise; they’re emotions of true sports fans, and now I am one of them, writing with the same energy I once questioned.