Aryna Sabalenka hopes Yulia Putintseva friendship still on the menu after Wuhan comeback

WUHAN, China—When Aryna Sabalenka and Yulia Putintseva first faced off in 2019, Putintseva declared she owed her friendly rival “two dinners” after winning their US Open encounter.

“I offered to take her to dinner yesterday, but she said to wait until after the match, and we made a deal that the winner pays!” she joked at the time.

Though Sabalenka got her revenge on Thursday at the Dongfeng Voyah Wuhan Open, dinner might still be on the vanquished Kazakh who, according to the former world No. 1, has become a culinary artiste.

We both are really emotional people. We were really going up and down, up and down with our emotions today. But I think we're still friends, which is good. Aryna Sabalenka on Yulia Putintseva

“Probably she's not going to invite me for her really great dinners,” sighed Sabalenka, who rallied from a set down to surprise Putintseva, 1-6, 6-4, 6-0. “She's really good in cooking, she's making delicious food. Probably I'll never try her stuff again.

“Or she'll invite me and she'll poison my meal,” she added with a laugh. “We'll see. I hope no.”

Sabalenka and Putintseva have remained close over the years, Sabalenka nabbing an exclusive invite to Putintseva’s pre-Australian Open birthday party last January.

“It's tough to play,” said Sabalenka, who won the final nine games against Putintseva to win a 14th straight match in Wuhan. “Especially we both are really emotional people. We were really going up and down, up and down with our emotions today. But I think we're still friends, which is good.”

Though Putintseva tossed her racquet in disgust after losing a match she had stood, at one juncture, five points from winning, but nonetheless hugged Sabalenka at net—a heartwarming gesture from one of the tour’s fiercest competitors.

“We probably behaved not really in the best way, but we understand that. Off court we didn't bring, like, tennis life. That's really important,” explained Sabalenka.

As for Putintseva’s signature dish?

“The last one was I think carbonara,” recalled the former No. 1, who is projected to lead the PIF WTA Race to the WTA Finals on Monday. “It was like Italian pasta. Was so good. I was like give me more, it was so good.”