What is the tattoo on Aryna Sabalenka’s arm and what does it represent?

Former world number one Aryna Sabalenka is Down Under at the Australian Open, taken out her first round duties against Germany’s Ella Seidel. The 25-year old from Belarus certainly has her eyes on another title (she has 13 to date) as the current number two looks to defend the trophy she won a year ago.

Sabalenka had an excellent 2023, having reached the Grand Slam semifinals in London and Paris, and finishing runner-up in the US, as well as triumphing in Australia. And each time she takes to the court, one question appears to come to mind.

What does the tattoo on Sabalenka’s arm mean?

The tattoo on her left forearm is a tiger. She got the tattoo as a teenager without telling her parents. “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,” she said. “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.”

The tattoo represents the year she was born, which was 1998, the Chinese year of the Tiger. As she has stated, she got the tattoo to give her inspiration and the tiger is considered to represent individuals who are authoritative, brave, and self assured with a strong moral compass and belief system. Watching Sabalenka on the court, she definitely shares some of the qualities of people born the year of the tiger: she enjoys competition, but can sometimes struggle with emotions, sometimes becoming moody or intense.

We’ll see in the coming weeks if Sabalenka will be able to take another step in her career and win her second Grand Slam title.