Footage of Aryna Sabalenka smashing racket in US Open locker room draws criticism.
Belarusian tennis star Aryna Sabalenka returned to the locker room and, in an understandable moment of frustration, smashed her racquet into the ground and then threw it in the trash.
The moment was captured by a livestream camera and then shared on social media, Sabalenka is known for wearing her he*art on her sleeve so it didn’t come as a surprise to tennis fans who follow the 2023 Australian Open winner’s career.
However, some viewers at home questioned whether or not the footage from the players’ locker room should have been shared publically given that it occurred in what is traditionally a private space.
This footage should never have been made public,” said Judy Murray, tennis coach and mother of men’s tennis star Andy Murray. “A private moment in an empty training room after the disappointment of losing a Grand Slam final.
Aryna Sabalenka smashes racket in meltdown after loss to Coco Gauff at US Open Following Aryna Sabalenka’s loss to the 19-year-old Gauff in the U.S. Open final, cameras caught the Belarusian star taking out her frust*rations on her racket inside the player’s area.
Sabalenka, who will rise to the No. 1 world ranking on Monday, won the first set in Saturday’s final but ultimately lost 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 to the American phenom, who won her first-ever Grand Slam with the victory.
In the video first posted by Eurosport France, Sabalenka is seen placing her tournament runner-up trophy in her bag before grab**bing one of her Wilson tennis rackets, peering at it for a moment, and smashing it on the ground.
