Tennis star Aryna Sabalenka drops itty-bitty bikini pics after WTA Finals heartbreak

After a loss, some athletes disappear. Others lock themselves in the gym. Aryna Sabalenka? She grabbed the tiniest bikini she owns and flew straight to the Maldives like it was her full-time job.

On Wednesday, November 12, the 27-year-old tennis star hopped on Instagram with a beachy photo dump — palm trees, shorelines, turquoise water, plus friends and cocktails in tow. “Time to chill 📖🏝️,” she captioned the post. 

It took the internet zero seconds to react in the comments section. Fans went straight into emoji mode, flooding the post with heart-eyes, flames, and messages like “SO PERFECT” and praise for her “super bikini body.” Others were just thrilled to see Sabalenka looking relaxed after a brutal end to her season.

And the timing makes sense. Her beachy escape comes right after her WTA Finals heartbreak in Riyadh, where she fell short in the championship match. It was a tough loss, but Sabalenka walked away with trademark honesty and perspective, telling reporters, “[Elena Rybakina] played incredible. I feel like I did my best today. Didn't work, but I think [there are] so many things I have to be proud of. I'm leaving this tournament without any disappointment. I leave this tournament being proud of myself, and things that we've been able to achieve with my team.”

She kept it even more real when talking about the pattern of near-misses this season. “The good thing is that I’m always there. The bad thing this season, I lost most of the biggest finals I made. So I guess I’ll just sit back in Maldives, having my probably tequila, and think back and try to analyze my behavior, my emotions.”