After a clinical 6-1 6-1 victory over US Open debutant Polina Iatcenko in the second round, two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka was extremely annoyed when a reporter suggested she had been partying too much ahead of the tournament and wasn’t focused enough on tennis.
Sabalenka needed just 53 minutes to dispatch Iatcenko, recording one of the quickest Grand Slam wins of her career. But instead of focusing on her dominant performance, one reporter at her post-match press conference turned his attention to her Instagram activity, brand deals and off-court appearances, seemingly suggesting that Sabalenka’s focus had been elsewhere in the buildup to the US Open.
Reporters push Sabalenka to the breaking point
The tension was already noticeable from the first question.
A reporter pointed out that Sabalenka had played both of her opening matches on Arthur Ashe Stadium, despite being a player who has had more matches on Louis Armstrong Stadium than anyone else over the past decade.
The world No. 1 didn’t seem particularly impressed by the statistic. “I like how you guys come up with, like, random stats. I’m not really thinking about that,” she replied.
The next question irritated her considerably more. Another reporter asked about her mood now that the tournament had started, contrasting it with the “lots of parties, and fun and stuff like that” she had supposedly enjoyed before the US Open.
The top seed immediately shook her head and rolled her eyes.
“You guys are like a joke. Parties, fun, like… why would you even say that? Why would you even think about that? What kind of question is that?” she said.
“Just because I posted some activities with brands, you think that I’ve been partying [and] not training?”
The reporter attempted to improve the situation, saying he wasn’t suggesting Sabalenka had actually been attending parties, but was referring to her various events, sponsor appearances and other activities away from the court.
Sabalenka wasn’t having it. “You literally said that.”
The exchange then took another bad turn when the reporter asked whether Sabalenka now felt she was becoming “quite serious and combative” with the tournament underway.
Her response was dripping with sarcasm.
“Oh yeah, I wasn’t serious before that. Next question.”
She then added a blunt message to the reporter:
“Think before you say stuff!”
For Sabalenka, however, there appeared to be little reason to question her focus based on what she had shown on court. “I’m happy with my level. I’ve been working really hard,” she said.
Her performance against Iatcenko certainly backed that up. Sabalenka dropped just two games in a 53-minute demolition, keeping her bid for a third consecutive US Open title firmly on track.
Sabalenka on her Nike US Open outfit
Sabalenka was also asked about her Nike Fall Slam Net Dress and the different color combinations she has worn at the US Open. While Nike initially presented the look with a black mesh layer over an orange base, Sabalenka opted instead for solid all-black and all-orange versions in her first two matches. She explained that she wasn’t initially aware Nike had prepared separate looks for the day and night sessions, but once she realized she could wear the outfit monochromatically, she chose to go that route.
