As Aryna Sabalenka looks to win her first Grand Slam title of the season in New York, her campaign at the US Open has been marred by her growing discontent over the narratives surrounding her in the tennis community.
Having faced a steady stream of questions about her off-court activities, the world No. 1’s frustration boiled over into a heated exchange with a journalist after her second-round win in New York.
Inside Aryna Sabalenka’s Frustrated Confrontation with a US Open Reporter
Despite raising concerns with her early exits at the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Open in the lead-up to the US Open, Sabalenka has eased those fears with a strong start to her title defense in New York. After claiming a dominant 6-2, 6-4 win over Camila Osorio, the Belarusian produced another clinical performance to defeat Polina Iatcenko 6-1, 6-1 in the second round.
However, Sabalenka’s victorious mood was disrupted during her post-match press conference when she was asked whether her mindset had changed after enjoying parties before her singles campaign got underway.
“How are you finding your mood now that the tournament has started? Obviously last week it’s lots of parties and fun and stuff like that…,” the reporter asked.
The four-time Grand Slam champion did not take kindly to the question, firing back at the reporter and questioning whether the narrative was that she was partying instead of training.
“You guys are like a joke. Parties? Fun? Like why would you even say that? Why would you even think about that? Like what kind of question is that? Just because I posted some activities with brands and you think that I’ve been partying, not training,” Sabalenka said.
The heated exchange continued as Sabalenka refused to let the reporter dismiss the implication.
“I’m saying that there are a lot of events and things like that. I’m not saying you go to the parties and that you’re,” he said.
“You literally said that,” the world No. 1 responded.
After the journalist issued a clarification regarding his question, he reframed it by asking whether she was becoming more serious and competitive now that the tournament was underway. Sabalenka responded with a sarcastic jab about her seriousness before asking to move on.
“Excuse me? For everyone for everyone who’s not clear, I’m not suggesting that Aryna is having fun at these parties. I’m saying that she makes a lot of appearances and there’s a lot to do and lots of events. So, now that the tournament started, do you find you’re getting quite serious and combative?” the journalist asked.
“Oh yeah, I wasn’t serious before that. Next question,” she said.
The world No. 1 also interrupted the following question to address the reporter once again, telling him, “Think before you say stuff.”
Aryna Sabalenka was not happy with a question she received during her U.S. Open press conference, ‘Think before you say stuff’
“How are you finding your mood now that the tournament has started? Obviously last week it’s lots of parties and fun and stuff like that..”
Aryna: “You… pic.twitter.com/CPZvShRbSI
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) September 3, 2026
Sabalenka’s frustration over the line of questioning does not come as a surprise, given that she expressed similar sentiments when asked about her off-court commitments after her first-round win. She firmly denied that her sponsor obligations were a distraction, instead emphasizing that they gave her energy.
“Why do you think the week before I wasn’t focused on tennis?” she said. “It’s like my hobby outside of tennis. The whole schedule we plan is all around tennis. So all of those events are not drawing me in any way.”
“So I’m really enjoying my time with my brands, with people who work there, and I have fun. It’s like my hobby outside of my tennis schedule, and it actually gives me so much energy,” she added.
The world No. 1 also spoke about tuning out criticism from “miserable haters” while speaking to Sky Sports after beating Osorio.
Her growing frustration is understandable considering the scrutiny Sabalenka has faced on multiple fronts at the US Open. She first dismissed the criticism of her outfit before responding to concerns about her game, saying, “Maybe there’s something wrong with people.”
Aryna Sabalenka will now turn her attention to preparing for her third-round clash with Kamilla Rakhimova at the US Open. If she emerges victorious, the four-time Grand Slam champion will face either Taylor Townsend or Diana Shnaider in the fourth round.
