NEED TO KNOW

• Aryna Sabalenka was born to her parents, Sergey Sabalenka and Yulia Sabalenka, in 1998
• Aryna’s father died in 2019 when she was 21 years old
• The tennis champ has credited her family for being her motivation on the court

Aryna Sabalenka’s family name will go down in tennis history — she’s making sure of that. 

After her father, Sergey Sabalenka, died unexpectedly of meningitis in 2019, the three-time Grand Slam champion said she made a promise to him, her mom, Yulia Sabalenka, and her little sister to become the best in the world.

“After I lost my father, it’s always been my goal to put our family name in the history of tennis,” she told reporters at a press conference after winning her third major title in September 2024. “Every time I see my name on that trophy, I’m so proud of myself, I’m proud of my family that they never gave up on my dream and that they were doing everything they could to keep me going.”

Sergey and Yulia welcomed Aryna in May 1998, and their second daughter, Tonechka Sabalenka, 11 years later. The tennis pro told Flaunt Magazinein January 2025 that her family motivates her more than anything else. 

“There were some times when I wanted to give up, but I was just thinking, I cannot quit,” Aryna told the outlet. “I want them to be proud of me, to bring some positivity into their lives because they get happy when I win. And I want it to be a great example for my sister; she’s 11 years younger. I want her to see a good example [in me] just like I saw in my father.”

Here’s everything to know about Aryna Sabalenka’s parents, Sergey Sabalenka and Yulia Sabalenka.

Sergey was an ice hockey player

Aryna inherited her athleticism from her father, who was a successful Belarusian ice hockey player. Though the tennis pro told Flaunt Magazine that she also got his determination and persistence, what she really hoped to embody was his cheery disposition. 

“I think I was seven or nine,” Aryna recalled to the outlet. “We had just had a party in the house, and I looked up at him, and he was so funny. So happy. People loved him.”

She continued, “I looked to him thinking, ‘I hope when I grow up I’ll have this personality.’ He was always focusing on the positive things rather than the negative.”

They have two daughters

Sergey and Yulia welcomed two girls over the course of their marriage. Aryna was born on May 5, 1998, and Tonechka arrived in February 2009. The tennis champ told Flaunt Magazine that after guiding her younger sister through some tough times, she’s decided to play the part of the cool older sister instead.

“There were times that were really tough for her because I was just trying to make her understand things, and I was stuck on her,” she said. “But now I think I’m the one who’s just there for fun, for support, and for whatever advice she needs from me.”’

She continued, “Whatever she asks me for, I’m always trying to figure out a way to deliver it … I love her. When she was born, I was the happiest person. I asked my mom for a sister for years and years.”

Sergey introduced Aryna to tennis 

Describing herself as not “a sitting-in-one-spot kid,” Aryna told SELFin May 2025that her dad decided to see if she liked tennis after they drove past a court one day. Though the then-6-year-old thought the sport was fun, the real reason she liked it was because she got to skip school sometimes to play.

After winning her second Grand Slam title at the 2024 Australian Open championship in January 2024, she revealed to reporters that the trophy got her one step closer to fulfilling her and her father’s dream. 

“I lost my father four years ago. We had one dream,” Aryna said, per Yahoo! Sports. “That before 25, I will win a couple of Grand Slams.”

She continued, “There was a moment where I really didn’t believe that I’m gonna win it one day. But, I just couldn’t quit … I want to believe there is something that my father is watching me and very proud of me. So I just couldn’t stop — for my family.”

Yulia jokingly called Aryna’s Australian Open trophies “boring” 

Aryna’s mom is proud of her daughter’s Australian Open wins — but told her that maybe it was time to seek out some other trophy designs before she took home the US Open title later that year.

“My mom has them, and they are side by side, like she called them twins,” she told reporters in March 2024, per Tennis World. “She said, ‘Like we need to kind of play have like different types of them, like it looks boring when you have like just two of the same ones, like can you just work on the other Slams?’ “

The tennis pro quipped back, “I’m like, ‘Mom, well, what is your request? You could have just appreciated these two; it wasn’t easy to get.’ “

Sergey died in 2019

In 2019, Aryna’s father died unexpectedly from meningitis at just 43 years old.

The loss hit the then-21-year-old hard. She told Flaunt Magazine there was an entire year when she “couldn’t serve.” With the help of a psychologist and a biomechanical coach, she eventually found a way to channel her dad’s determination and move forward in her career.

“The way he raised me, he always told me that you have to fight,” Aryna told SELF. “You have to work hard.”

She added that in addition to pushing her, “he was always positive, fun, and he always tried to stay strong.”

Read the original article on People

Kentucky kicks off the season vs. Toledo on Saturday, and if you’re watching at home on the SEC Network, you’ll hear a familiar voice. Taylor Zarzour is calling the game alongside Matt Stinchcomb and Alyssa Lang. Turns out it’s one of many, many roles for Zarzour, who joined ESPN a decade ago.

In April, Zarzour was named the new play-by-play man for the Tennessee Titans, taking over for longtime Voice of the Titans Mike Keith. After 27 years with the Titans, Keith left Nashville for Knoxville to be the lead play-by-play announcer for Tennessee football and men’s basketball games. Zarzour was tabbed as his replacement and moved from Charlotte to Nashville, where he hosted his first sports radio show 24 years ago. As part of his new gig, Zarzour also hosts Titans head coach Brian Callahan’s radio and television shows. The Titans kick off the season on September 7 at Denver.

That would be enough for most people, but Zarzour will still call college football games for ESPN and golf’s major championships on the radio. As a host and director for SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio, he still hosts a morning show and will call the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black in New York next month. Compared to that, what’s a trip up I-65 and the Bluegrass Parkway?

Zarzour and Stinchcomb were last in Lexington for Kentucky’s loss to Auburn last season. This will be Alyssa Lang’s first Kentucky football game since the win over Vanderbilt in 2023. The trio will call college football games together all season for the Worldwide Leader. Let’s get them off to a good start in Lexington.

Kick off the 2025 Kentucky football season with KSR Plus! We’re giving you behind-the-scenes intel you won’t find anywhere else. Join the most vibrant online community in BBN ahead of a pivotal season for Mark Stoops.

ESPN Announcing Teams for Week 1

Here are all of the announcing teams for ESPN’s Week 1 games, along with the broadcast info for the other Top 25 games on the slate. It’s a full one, so clear your schedule and fluff the couch cushions.

Kentucky kicks off the season vs. Toledo on Saturday, and if you’re watching at home on the SEC Network, you’ll hear a familiar voice. Taylor Zarzour is calling the game alongside Matt Stinchcomb and Alyssa Lang. Turns out it’s one of many, many roles for Zarzour, who joined ESPN a decade ago.

In April, Zarzour was named the new play-by-play man for the Tennessee Titans, taking over for longtime Voice of the Titans Mike Keith. After 27 years with the Titans, Keith left Nashville for Knoxville to be the lead play-by-play announcer for Tennessee football and men’s basketball games. Zarzour was tabbed as his replacement and moved from Charlotte to Nashville, where he hosted his first sports radio show 24 years ago. As part of his new gig, Zarzour also hosts Titans head coach Brian Callahan’s radio and television shows. The Titans kick off the season on September 7 at Denver.

That would be enough for most people, but Zarzour will still call college football games for ESPN and golf’s major championships on the radio. As a host and director for SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio, he still hosts a morning show and will call the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black in New York next month. Compared to that, what’s a trip up I-65 and the Bluegrass Parkway?

Zarzour and Stinchcomb were last in Lexington for Kentucky’s loss to Auburn last season. This will be Alyssa Lang’s first Kentucky football game since the win over Vanderbilt in 2023. The trio will call college football games together all season for the Worldwide Leader. Let’s get them off to a good start in Lexington.

Kick off the 2025 Kentucky football season with KSR Plus! We’re giving you behind-the-scenes intel you won’t find anywhere else. Join the most vibrant online community in BBN ahead of a pivotal season for Mark Stoops.

ESPN Announcing Teams for Week 1

Here are all of the announcing teams for ESPN’s Week 1 games, along with the broadcast info for the other Top 25 games on the slate. It’s a full one, so clear your schedule and fluff the couch cushions.

In his first game of a rehab assignment with Triple-A after suffering a right thumb sprain against the Seattle Mariners on Aug. 17, Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez had to leave in the top of the sixth inning after getting drilled on the left hand.

Already 1-for-2 in the game after a double in the first inning against Sean Boyle, Alvarez was plunked on the left hand by the right-hander on a 89 mph sinker that ran in on him. Clearly in pain after getting hit, Alvarez took his time getting to first base and was met by trainers who took a look at him.

After checking on his hand, Syracuse decided to remove the 23-year-old for a pinch-runner.

Beginning the season on the IL with a wrist injury, Alvarez has dealt with a lot of hand injuries in his career. The right thumb sprain he was rehabbing resulted from sliding head-first into second base, although he has been hit by numerous pitches and gets banged up behind the plate, as well.

Francisco Alvarez has left the game for Triple-A Syracuse after being hit on the hand pic.twitter.com/Y53td17K2t

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) August 28, 2025

Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Yankees hit the road to take on the White Sox in a four-game series starting on Thursday…

Preview

Can Anthony Volpe get a hit?

Volpe is in a major slump, worse than he’s experienced in his short career so far. 

Entering Thursday’s series opener, Volpe is 1-for-37 with 14 strikeouts in his last 11 games. In the Yankees’ 11-2 pounding of the Nationals on Wednesday, Volpe went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts and was the only starter to not get a hit. 

The Yankees tried to give Volpe a breather and reset with two games off earlier in the week, but at this point, the team is going to try and push through and see if Volpe gets out of his slump by playing. 

On the other side of it, is the shortstop set up for another day off? Jose Caballero was the starting shortstop when Volpe was benched, so it’ll be interesting to see how manager Aaron Boone writes up his lineups during this series. 

How much will Giancarlo Stanton play?

As Aaron Judge continues to work his way back to playing in the outfield, Boone has to decide whether to play Stanton in right field in his captain’s stead. 

The Yankees need Stanton in the lineup as much as possible. Over his last 30 games, Stanton is slashing .362/.429/.819 with 13 home runs and 32 RBI. Over his last seven games, Stanton launched five long balls and hit .421. Stanton played the outfield in two of the three games at Yankee Stadium against the Nationals, but the last time the Yankees were on the road (and not at George M. Steinbrenner Field), Stanton sat out all three games against the Cardinals in St. Louis. 

Cam Schlittler, Will Warren trying out to be Game 3 starter

If the Yankees make the postseason, Max Fried and Carlos Rodon will pitch the first two games of any series they are in. But who will start Game 3?

Warren is set to start Thursday’s series opener and will hope to bounce back from his rough outing against the Red Sox. In his four prior starts, Warren had allowed only four runs across 22.1 innings pitched. The 26-year-old is having a solid season for the Yanks. In 27 starts, he’s pitched to a 4.47 ERA with 146 strikeouts across 131 innings pitched.

For the rookie Schlittler, he has the tougher matchup, going up against All-Star Shane Smith on Saturday. In only eight starts, the 24-year-old is pitching to a 2.76 ERA with 46 strikeouts across 42.1 innings pitched. But Schlittler has really started to blossom his last few times on the mound.

In his last two starts (Rays, Nationals), Schlittler has pitched 12.2 scoreless innings while allowing just five hits and striking out 16 batters. If Schlittler repeats that performance on the road against the White Sox, his name will be in serious consideration to pitch behind Fried and Rodon in October.

Is Aaron Judge back?

Judge is still trying to go on a tear like he did pre-injury, but Wednesday’s performance may be the start of it. Against the Nationals, Judge went 2-for-4 with a home run in the Yankees’ win. It’s been tough sledding for the reigning AL MVP. Prior to the series finale against Washington, Judge was 2-for-17 in his previous five games. A series against the lowly White Sox could be what he needs to go on a run.

Taking care of business

The Yankees are one of the best teams in MLB against under-.500 teams and the White Sox come into the four-game set with the second-worst record in baseball.

Like how they did sweeping the Nationals this week, the Yankees need to take care of business and win the series in Chicago. It’s hard to sweep a four-game set no matter who you’re facing, but the Yankees should take three games from the White Sox. Doing so will continue to solidify their spot in the postseason and perhaps even help them bridge the gap with the Blue Jays and Red Sox.

Predictions

Who will the MVP of the series be?

Aaron Judge 

Judge seemed very comfortable at the plate on Wednesday and should be the start of a great run for him.

Which Yankees pitcher will have the best start?

Carlos Rodon

Rodon has been the most consistent pitcher for the Yankees and going up against the White Sox, his former team, will continue that streak.

Which White Sox player will be a thorn in the Yankees’ side?

Colson Montgomery

The rookie shortstop is dealing with a left side injury that sidelined him on Wednesday, but his MRI came back clean, so he should be back in the lineup sooner rather than later.

The New York Rangers have the 24th-best prospect pool according to The Athletic’s prospect pipeline rankings. 

Corey Pronman of The Athletic listed Malcolm Spence, Brennan Othmann, E.J. Emery, Gabe Perreault, Carey Terrance, Noah Laba, and Scott Morrow as the Rangers’ top prospects. 

In last year’s prospect pipeline list, the Rangers ranked as the 15th best team, as the Blueshirts saw a slight drop off. 

The only teams ranked behind the Rangers in this list are the Winnipeg Jets, Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, Vegas Golden Knights, Edmonton Oilers, and Colorado Avalanche. 

The Rangers’ opening-night roster may consist of a number of young players, including Othmann, Perreault, Morrow, and Brett Berard.

The Los Angeles Lakers’ front office is 100 percent behind superstar Luka Dončić and his decision to represent his native country Slovenia in the 2025 EuroBasket tournament. Team governor Jeanie Buss and president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka were on hand in Poland to watch Dončić and Team Slovenia’s final practice before the tournament. 

“It’s an easy choice,” Dončić explained. “I always want to represent my country. Always did. No matter what. Obviously, if I’m injured, I’m not gonna play, but if I have nothing, I will always play.”

 [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season]

Pelinka stated the franchise wants Dončić to know that they have his back, so to speak, and that everyone supports him as he represents his country. Along with Pelinka and Buss were Kurt and Linda Rambis, along with director of player performance and health, Dr. Leroy Sims. Dončić tweaked his knee during Slovenia’s warm-up schedule, from which he’s since been cleared to return, but the Lakers are not worried.

“We just wanted to make a statement to Luka that we support what he does for his country. That’s really important to the Lakers when we have a player that’s the face of our franchise, just to show that support for him,” Pelinka said. 

“And it’s just great to see him with his teammates, interacting, having fun. As you said, he is in great shape, really committed to working hard this summer, and to be able to watch that in person was worth flying over the ocean to come be with him.”

On Aug. 3, Dončić signed a three-year, $165 million extension with the Lakers following a blockbuster trade to the franchise last season. The Lakers sent Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a first-round pick in exchange for Dončić, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris in a three-team deal that also included the Utah Jazz. 

The five-time All-NBA selection averaged 28.2 points, 8.2 boards and 7.7 assists per game spanning his time with the Mavericks and Lakers last season.

After the trade, the Mavericks went on to win the first overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft via the lottery, selecting consensus No. 1 prospect Cooper Flagg out of Duke.

While the Lakers are focused on winning a championship with Dončić and LeBron James, they are fully on board with Dončić’s participation in the 2025 EuroBasket tournament. As long as he’s healthy, Dončić will represent his country, and the Lakers will continue to support the endeavor — especially following his offseason transformation aimed at improved conditioning for the upcoming 2025-26 NBA season.

The Los Angeles Lakers’ front office is 100 percent behind superstar Luka Dončić and his decision to represent his native country Slovenia in the 2025 EuroBasket tournament. Team governor Jeanie Buss and president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka were on hand in Poland to watch Dončić and Team Slovenia’s final practice before the tournament. 

“It’s an easy choice,” Dončić explained. “I always want to represent my country. Always did. No matter what. Obviously, if I’m injured, I’m not gonna play, but if I have nothing, I will always play.”

 [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season]

Pelinka stated the franchise wants Dončić to know that they have his back, so to speak, and that everyone supports him as he represents his country. Along with Pelinka and Buss were Kurt and Linda Rambis, along with director of player performance and health, Dr. Leroy Sims. Dončić tweaked his knee during Slovenia’s warm-up schedule, from which he’s since been cleared to return, but the Lakers are not worried.

“We just wanted to make a statement to Luka that we support what he does for his country. That’s really important to the Lakers when we have a player that’s the face of our franchise, just to show that support for him,” Pelinka said. 

“And it’s just great to see him with his teammates, interacting, having fun. As you said, he is in great shape, really committed to working hard this summer, and to be able to watch that in person was worth flying over the ocean to come be with him.”

On Aug. 3, Dončić signed a three-year, $165 million extension with the Lakers following a blockbuster trade to the franchise last season. The Lakers sent Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a first-round pick in exchange for Dončić, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris in a three-team deal that also included the Utah Jazz. 

The five-time All-NBA selection averaged 28.2 points, 8.2 boards and 7.7 assists per game spanning his time with the Mavericks and Lakers last season.

After the trade, the Mavericks went on to win the first overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft via the lottery, selecting consensus No. 1 prospect Cooper Flagg out of Duke.

While the Lakers are focused on winning a championship with Dončić and LeBron James, they are fully on board with Dončić’s participation in the 2025 EuroBasket tournament. As long as he’s healthy, Dončić will represent his country, and the Lakers will continue to support the endeavor — especially following his offseason transformation aimed at improved conditioning for the upcoming 2025-26 NBA season.