Aryna Sabalenka’s quest to win her maiden Wimbledon title ended in heartbreak as she suffered a fourth-round loss to Naomi Osaka. Although the world No. 1 embarked on a relaxing getaway to recover from the crushing defeat, she couldn’t completely tune out the discourse and criticism surrounding her within the tennis community.
How Aryna Sabalenka Responded to Backlash After Her Wimbledon Exit
Having fallen short at the Australian Open and the French Open, Sabalenka arrived at Wimbledon with the goal of winning her first Grand Slam title of the season. She kicked off her campaign with dominant wins over Teodora Kostović, McCartney Kessler, and Jeļena Ostapenko, advancing to the fourth round without dropping a set.
However, Osaka prevented Sabalenka from booking a spot in the quarterfinals, securing a 6-2, 7-6(2) victory in their blockbuster showdown and ousting the Belarusian from the tournament.
Although Sabalenka held on to the world No. 1 ranking despite her early exit, she was asked in her post-match press conference whether she still felt like the top-ranked player and what it would take to rediscover her dominance.
In response, the four-time Grand Slam champion dismissed any discussion about the rankings, saying she simply wanted to unwind and take a break from tennis.
“Oh, this question, guys. I mean, let’s just look at the ranking. Right now I’m world number one. Level-wise, today I wasn’t world number one. Yesterday I was world number one. I feel like I just don’t even want to think about rankings at this point. I just want to go, get completely drunk, forget about tennis, and try to get in better shape,” she said.
Despite this, Sabalenka’s getaway to Mykonos was disrupted by criticism, with some fans questioning whether she deserved the world No. 1 ranking and arguing that she needed to change her attitude, leaving her puzzled.
“Waking up to comments that say I care more about tiktok than tennis, that I don’t deserve to be world number one, and that I need to fix my attitude,” she posted on TikTok.
sabalenka please😭 she’s hilarious sorry they could never make me hate her pic.twitter.com/ytAEzMIEVM
— ًᵗᵒ (@tosports13) July 9, 2026
The 28-year-old appeared to put the harsh criticism behind her as she enjoyed her much-needed vacation, sharing glimpses of her soaking up the sun in Greece alongside her friends and her pet dog Ash.
“Taking a minute to myself 🤭🍹🏝️,” she captioned her Instagram post.
Aryna Sabalenka taking a minute to herself, indulging in self therapy session 🍹🏖️ pic.twitter.com/5lqEPfYYh5
— Raul (@Raulgunner2) July 9, 2026
After taking time off to move on from her Wimbledon disappointment, Aryna Sabalenka will begin gearing up for the North American hardcourt swing, with her sights set on defending her US Open title.
The world No. 1 is set to return to action at the WTA 1000 Canadian Open in Toronto, where she will headline a star-studded field featuring Elena Rybakina, Iga Świątek, Coco Gauff, and Jessica Pegula.
