With the US Open kicking off in Flushing Meadows, The Run-Through co-host Nicole Phelps and Vogue senior editor Corey Seymour had the chance to chat with women’s world number one Aryna Sabalenka on Monday night, taping a special live episode from the Gucci store on Fifth Avenue.
“There’s been a lot of ups and downs,” Sabalenka admitted, discussing her season. “I’m working really hard to hopefully win the US Open for the third time.”
Since winning the US Open last year, a lot has changed off the court for Sabalenka. For one thing, she got engaged to her longtime boyfriend, Georgios Frangulis, while wearing a pair of jeans and a plain white T-shirt. “I was crying for a little moment because I looked ugly,” she recalled. “I was unprepared. Girls will understand that, you know?” And then there was the puppy: a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Ash (after Arthur Ashe Stadium, of course). If she wins the tournament again this year, Sabalenka teased, “I mean, Ash needs a friend…”
In addition to preparing for the US Open, the athlete and Gucci ambassador is also thinking a lot about fashion. She also wore all Gucci for her Vogue digital cover this year and sat front row at Demna’s fall 2026 show, alongside Romeo Beckham, Shawn Mendes, and Formula 1 driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
“I love Demna. I always really loved his work, and it’s amazing what he does,” she said. “The moment when he entered the Gucci family, I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is the time. It’s amazing.’”
Also on today’s episode, Nicole and Chloe chat about the sad deaths of Dolly Parton and Tim Curry and reflect on their favorite works by both artists. They also discuss Vogue’s Casa Magazines pop-up, where Chloe indulged in horchata popsicles and hung out with Kaia Gerber and Homer Gere as they signed copies of the September Issue.
