Aryna Sabalenka has never been one to hide her feelings during high-pressure matches. Her unfiltered reactions on the court and the criticism against them have sparked debate about how female athletes are perceived compared to their male counterparts. Recently, the World No. 1 weighed in on the gender double standard in a candid new interview with TIME magazine.
Aryna Sabalenka Gives Her Take On Gender Double Standard Over On-Court Emotions
The 28-year-old has had several fiery on-court incidents, including narrowly missing a ball kid and cameraman with her racket during the Wuhan Open, smashing her racket after a loss at the Miami Open, and receiving an obscenity warning during the 2026 Miami final after angrily responding to a fan. Analysts and fans have argued that her unsportsmanlike behavior should get more penalties.
While Sabalenka has apologized, she has also explained that letting her emotions out during matches helps her reset mentally.
When the TIME interviewer asked Sabalenka if she believed people would make as big a deal about her emotions if she were a man, her response was unbothered.
“I don’t know,” Sabalenka said. “Maybe we get charged a bit more, but I don’t really mind. I just figure for myself that this is the best way for me. If someone is going to judge me for that, whatever. I don’t really care. It’s not my people.”
The interview also took an emotional turn as Sabalenka discussed the grief she has processed off the court. Sabalenka revealed that after her former boyfriend, Konstantin Koltsov, died in March 2024 after an apparent suicide at a Miami hotel, police officers informed her of his death while she was practicing ahead of the Miami Open. But she continued playing because tennis became her way of coping with the pain.
MORE: Iga Świątek Responds to WTA’s Genetic Sex Testing Debate As Player Testing Begins in Cincinnati
On the tennis front, Sabalenka has now spent 95 consecutive weeks at the No. 1 spot, becoming just the 10th player to spend 100 weeks at the top. Among the current players, only Iga Świątek has spent more time as the No. 1 than her.
After her success at the Miami Open, she hasn’t advanced past the quarterfinals in WTA 1000 events or at Grand Slams, including Wimbledon and the French Open.
However, Cincinnati will be a stepping stone for her before she heads into the US Open, where she is the defending champion since 2024. She will face Talia Gibson in the second round in Ohio.
