Belarusian defending champion Aryna Sabalenka is not at all happy with a question about her leisure activities.
Aryna Sabalenka clearly had no interest in answering this question. When a journalist tried to ask the world No. 1 about her leisure activities before the tournament after she advanced to the third round of the U.S. Open, she cut him off and lashed out. “You guys are a joke. Parties, fun? Why are you even saying things like that?” Sabalenka asked.
The journalist, who was called out at the press conference, had wanted to ask Sabalenka about her “mood.” “Now that the tournament has started. Last week, of course, there were plenty of parties and fun and so on…,” he said—but he didn’t get any further with his statement because Sabalenka cut him off. “Why do you even think that? What kind of question is that?” she shot back. “Just because I posted a few things about brand collaborations, you think I was partying instead of training?”
Sabalenka Impresses on the Court
A heated exchange ensued between the two, which did nothing to smooth things over. Sabalenka responded with a sarcastic remark and demanded the next question before adding one more point. “Think before you speak,” she snapped at the man.
This was already the second tense media moment for Sabalenka at this tournament. There had already been a verbal spat during her first press conference of the week when she was asked about her energy and approach. There, too, she reacted with noticeable sensitivity.
On the court, things are currently going well for the defending champion after her recent major struggles. She had no trouble at all against Polina Jazenko, winning 6-1, 6-1. Sabalenka left no room for doubt on the court and advanced to the third round in less than an hour. The first set was decided in 24 minutes; Jazenko could barely get a handle on the power of Sabalenka’s serve and backhand.
The 22-year-old qualifier was making her Grand Slam main-draw debut, but Sabalenka consistently pushed her out of the rallies. With this victory, the 28-year-old Belarusian extended her winning streak in New York to 16 consecutive matches and remained undefeated in sets in her second match of the tournament. In the third round, she will now face Kamilla Rakhimova.
