Aryna Sabalenka reveals the inspiration behind her viral $11OK custom jewelry at US Open
· New York PostBest believe she’s bejeweled just for New York.
After cruising into the third round of the U.S. Open with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Polina Iatcenko on Wednesday night inside Arthur Ashe Stadium, Aryna Sabalenka revealed her headline-generating, custom-made jewelry from New York jeweler Material Good was inspired by the city itself.
“It’s 100 percent inspired by New York,” the World No. 1 said during her on-court interview. “It’s colorful. Bold. Fun. It’s vintage-looking. Different shapes, different stones. Literally, I feel like it describes New York perfectly.”
Debuting a matching set that includes a necklace, bracelet and drop earrings earlier in the tournament, Sabalenka donned more than 127 carats of colored stones.
A mix of sapphires, tourmaline, garnet, zircon, spinel, chrysoberyl and tanzanite in a variety of shapes has made her jewelry stand out amongst all the bling on display in Flushing.
According to Material Good, each piece goes for a whopping $110,000.
For her second-round win, however, she only sported the necklace and bracelet.
Sabalenka, who is gunning for a U.S. Open three-peat after winning in 2024 and 2025, has long endeared herself to New York and its fans.
Between her blistering play, wearing her emotions on her sleeve and her spunky personality, the four-time Grand Slam champion is made to play under the bright lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium.
After a quarterfinal win over Zheng Qinwen in 2024, Sabalenka memorably asked fans in attendance “Drinks on me?” in response to a question about how she planned to win the crowd over.
She later partnered with Maestro Dobel Tequila, the official tequila of the US Open, for a special promotion the following year. Staying true to her word, Sabalenka figured out how to have legal-age fans in the New York metro area and nationwide get rebates on cocktails and bottle discounts via the Dobel Tequila Club.
As this year’s tournament favorite, Sabalenka is hoping to settle even further into the hearts of New Yorkers.
The 28-year-old Belarusian sure looks poised to do so, considering she has yet to drop a set through the first two rounds.
On Wednesday, Sabalenka secured the first set in just 24 minutes before winning the match in under an hour.
The 22-year-old Iatcenko, who reached her first Grand Slam main draw as a qualifier, struggled to put up any sort of fight as Sabalenka breezed to her 16th consecutive win at the U.S. Open.
Sabalenka, who faces Camila Osorio in the next round, is still undefeated against qualifiers at Grand Slam events, with all 13 of her victories now coming in straight sets.