Neymar and Aryna Sabalenka (foto: Instagram)
Neymar and world number one Aryna Sabalenka met in Riyadh during the WTA Finals, with the Brazilian star sharing a friendly post calling Sabalenka "queen."
In an unexpected encounter, Aryna Sabalenka, the top-ranked tennis player in the world, met one of football's biggest stars, Neymar, in Riyadh. The Belarusian and Brazilian athletes found themselves in the Saudi capital, where Sabalenka is competing in the WTA Finals.
Sabalenka kicked off her campaign in the Purple Group with a victory over Qinwen Zheng on Saturday. After the match, she had the chance to meet Neymar, who currently plays for Al Hilal and remains a key figure for the Brazilian national team.
Neymar, acting as a host in his adopted city, shared a warm message on social media, posting a photo of the two together and writing, "Pleasure meeting you, queen."
The Brazilian forward recently returned to action after a year-long recovery from a severe ACL injury, though he has yet to make his league debut for Al Hilal. His club was in action on Friday, drawing 1-1 in a high-stakes clash with Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr. Serbian midfielder Sergej Milinković-Savić scored the equalizer for Al Hilal in that match.