PICTURES: Aryna Sabalenka in yellow bikini and Paula Badosa in black bikini enjoy fun weekend getaway by themselves in Dubai

Close friends Paula Badosa and Aryna Sabalenka continued their relaxation vacation together in Dubai, relishing their weekend getaway with the sun in appropriate tanning outfits.

Sabalenka last played at the Wuhan Open, where she lost in the semifinals against Jessica Pegula. The World No. 1 chose not to continue the Asian swing after that, having already qualified for the WTA Finals in Riyadh at the end of the season.

Meanwhile, Badosa’s last appearance came at the China Open, where she had to retire midway through the battle against Karolina Muchova. With an emotional message after that, the Spaniard announced the end of her season, and hoped to return in 2026 with better fitness under her belt.

With their on-court fates so different, the pair recently caught up in Dubai, a training base for most athletes, including Badosa. On Sunday, the duo took to social media to share glimpses from their relaxing getaway, bright smiles and similarly colored outfits stealing the show. While Sabalenka opted for a yellow bikini, Badosa went with a black ensemble to steal the show.

“With my babe,” Badosa captioned one image she shared of Sabalenka.

“My girl,” Sabalenka wrote, referring to Badosa.
Aryna Sabalenka has previously gone as far as to call Badosa her ‘soulmate,’ talking about the importance of having a close friend on the WTA Tour where friends are few and far in between.
“I love Paula [Badosa] very much. We have been friends for three or four years. She is an incredible person. It is very important to have friends on the circuit, so when you find someone who you feel is your soulmate, it is the best thing that can happen to you,” Aryna Sabalenka said in a press conference in April.
The World No. 1 added about their bond:
“It’s just an amazing thing, you know, to find someone so similar to you and having the same kind of mindset, same thoughts on different topics and just be able to talk to someone and to have fun with someone. Just to have a friend, that’s really awesome.”
Sabalenka will be the No. 1 seed when she returns to the field at the WTA Finals, with Iga Swiatek the No. 2 seed.

Aryna Sabalenka has won six straight matches against Paula Badosa

Aryna Sabalenka and Paula Badosa have met eight times on the WTA Tour, and their head-to-head is currently 6-2 in favor of the Belarusian. After losing her first two matches, she bounced back by winning the next six encounters on the trot.

Their most recent battle came at the Australian Open in 2025 in the semifinals, where Sabalenka won in straight sets. Badosa, now ranked World No. 23, will be looking to recreate the magic run again next year.