Aryna Sabalenka’s frustration during her match against Jessica Pegula in the semifinals of the 2025 Wuhan Open resulted in a ‘dangerous’ act by the World No.1, which later drew criticism from tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg. This year, Sabalenka was the three-time defending champion at the WTA 1000 hard court tournament in Wuhan, having previously won the title in 2018, 2019, and 2024 by defeating Anett Kontaveit, Alison Riske, and Zheng Qinwen, respectively.
What Did Ben Rothenberg Say About Aryna Sabalenka Throwing Her Racket During Her Wuhan Open SF Loss?
Sabalenka was the top seed at the 2025 Wuhan Open and began her campaign in the second round after receiving a first-round bye. She won her opening match against Rebecca Šramková 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 and then eliminated 16th seed Liudmila Samsonova in the third round.
The World No. 1 secured her place in the semifinals by defeating eighth seed Elena Rybakina 6-3, 6-3. In the final four match, Pegula toiled hard to secure a comeback win with a score of 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(2), which ended Sabalenka’s 20-match unbeaten streak in Wuhan.
During the match against Pegula, after missing a shot and ultimately losing, Sabalenka’s actions created a dangerous situation on the court. In the 11th game of the third set, the Belarusian threw her racket onto the court, narrowly missing a ballboy standing next to the umpire’s chair.
This incident caught the attention of many, and Sabalenka faced backlash from fans as well. Rothenberg publicly criticized her on social media, stating that the World No. 1 was “lucky” that her actions did not cause any harm. He also suggested that the WTA and ATP should take action against players who throw rackets on the court, as it could potentially injure someone.
“I am late to this moment, but both tours need to meaningfully crack down on players launching projectiles in anger, it’s a terrible look and genuinely dangerous for people around the courts. Sabalenka was lucky this wasn’t much worse, as BvdZ was last week,” Rothenberg posted on X.
In the lead-up to the 2025 Wuhan Open, Sabalenka did not participate in any other tournaments in the Asian swing of the tour, with her last competition being the 2025 US Open. There, she defeated Amanda Anisimova in the final to defend her title, claiming her second New York Major singles title and fourth Grand Slam singles title overall.
