Aryna Sabalenka’s press conference ahead of her campaign opener at the Cincinnati Open didn’t go as planned after the World No. 1 interrupted a journalist midway through her question. Fresh off her Round of 16 upset loss against Ekaterina Alexandrova at the Canadian Open, Sabalenka arrived in Cincinnati to rediscover her mojo on hard court.
Before her campaign opener, the Belarusian addressed the media, answering questions about her World No. 1 ranking under threat and several other areas. The unexpected moment unfolded when a reporter started her question, but the four-time Grand Slam champion intervened and addressed a completely different topic, leaving the fans perplexed.
Thanks for the submission!
“You, Iga, Coco, probably two of the players on the tour recently and still fighting for that first Grand Slam,” the reporter asked.
At this point, Aryna Sabalenka interrupted the question and replied:
“You forgot Elena, but it’s okay. She is kind of number two right now.”
Fans were puzzled by Sabalenka’s response after she intervened even before the reporter could complete the question. They rallied behind the reporter, offering their perspective and lambasting the 28-year-old’s behaviour.
“Barbalenka was clueless — she didn’t understand the journalist’s question and instead goes on a wild goose chase,” a user wrote on X.
“Oh Saby don’t you remember Rybakina already has her grand slam? Have you erased this finale from your memory?” a user quipped.
“That’s why you don’t talk over others (rule #1 of active listening),” a user stated.
“Insufferable. retire already,” a user remarked.
“Misunderstanding the question and giving attitude in the process is peak Eastern European nonsense. Rude first always,” another user added.
Aryna Sabalenka is not worried about losing her number one ranking
As the calendar heads towards Flushing Meadows, Aryna Sabalenka is barely holding on to her top rank with 8,670 points, with Rybakina in hot pursuit with 8,316. If she pulls off another run to the final just like she did at the Canadian Open and the Belarusian suffers another premature exit, Rybakina could end Sabalenka’s reign.
While the pressure continues to mount on social media, Sabalenka doesn’t appear too concerned. The 28-year-old remains unfazed and focused on staying in the present.
“I don’t want to stop and look back. Every time I try to, I get a little bit crazy and emotional because it took a lot of work and a lot of tough moments to go through. I try to focus on staying present and doing everything I can now,” Sabalenka said.
Top seed Aryna Sabalenka will kick off her campaign in the second round against Australia’s Talia Gibson.
Edited by Pritha Ghosh