Ilona Maher reacts as Aryna Sabalenka names rugby star for dream dinner date

American rugby player Ilona Maher shared her reaction as tennis star Aryna Sabalenka stated that she would like to have dinner with her. Maher, who is recognized as one of the most popular rugby players in the world, has interacted with Sabalenka on many occasions. The pair share a mutual respect for each other, with Sabalenka even inviting Maher for a Tiktok dance video with Coco Gauff.

Ilona Maher last competed at the Rugby World Cup in England, where she and Team USA had a mixed performance. Despite their elimination from the tournament in the group stages, Maher displayed impressive performances against England and Samoa. She is now focusing on rest and recovery ahead of next season.

In a post shared by Sports Illustrated Home for Women’s Sports on Instagram, Sabalenka said:

"Oh, I would definitely pick Ilona Maher. I think she's the best and I think we have similar personalities, so it would be a fun dinner. I think we would definitely go for burger, or like a meat place, I think we would match on that vibe." - Aryna Sabalenka

Maher responded to the post, sharing her reaction:

"Give me a time and place @arynasabalenka" - Ilona Maher

Still taken from Maher's Instagram (Source: @ilonamaher/Instagram)

Outside of the sport, Maher recently appeared on the 2025 issue of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit magazine.

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Ilona Maher on the impact of social media as an athlete

Maher at the Women's Rugby World Cup 2025 - Source: Getty

Ilona Maher recently discussed how important it is for her to be known as an athlete in the United States. According to AP News, Maher said:

"It’s important (to me) to be known as an athlete, especially in America. We love athletes. We think athletes are the top of the top. I’m proud to be an athlete, it’s something that I’ve always kind of really associated with my sense of self." "If I could, I would just be an athlete, but ... I’m not going to make money being an athlete. So as a female rugby player I have to do so much more off the field and it gets to the point where it’s almost like you have to do (rugby) more for passion. Every day there’s the possibility of getting injured and I’m like, ‘Gosh, why am I doing this to myself?’ Like, I could be making a living doing media now."

Maher is one of the most followed rugby players in the world on social media, amassing over 8 million followers across Instagram and Tiktok.

Edited by Harshvardhan Shankar