NEW YORK (Reuters) – Aryna Sabalenka prevailed in her second round match at the U.S. Open on Wednesday while one of her youngest fans won the hearts of tennis fans everywhere by dressing up like her idol.
The girl, wearing a matching fuchsia Nike kit and sporting a temporary tiger tattoo on her left forearm, emphatically cheered Sabalenka on during her 6-3 6-1 victory at Louis Armstrong Stadium.
“I looked up and I saw on the big screen, like, mini-me. It was so cute,” Sabalenka said with a laugh.
“It’s such a motivation to keep going, to inspire the young generation. That’s the main goal. That was a very adorable moment.”
After the match Sabalenka rushed over to the girl, who presented the Belarusian with a stuffed toy tiger. Sabalenka derives inspiration from her tiger tattoo, which she has said reminds her to always fight to the finish.
The pair posed for photos together and Sabalenka made sure to get some with her own phone.
“(It was) the first time I’ve seen someone dress up the same as me and having little tattoo and little tiger,” she told reporters. “How cute is that?”
Sabalenka wasn’t alone in being charmed by her little lookalike.
“Stop what you’re doing, we have the moment of the tournament,” the U.S. Open posted on its X account along with a video of the interaction.
“So cute,” Tunisian tennis star Ons Jabeur commented.
Second-seeded Sabalenka will look to keep delivering for her fans of all ages when she takes on Ekaterina Alexandrova in the third round on Friday.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles, additional reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by Michael Perry)
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