Following her 6-1, 6-1 obliteration of Polina Iatcenko in the second round, Aryna Sabalenka got very angry at a U.S. Open reporter over what she felt was a disrespectful question about her social habits.
“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 number one female tennis player in the world.
“You guys are like a joke,” Aryna Sabalenka replied. “Parties. Fun. 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?”
“I’m not suggesting you were partying… I’m saying there are a lot of events and things like that. I’m not saying you go to the parties and that you’re…” the reporter continued.
“You literally said that,” Sabalenka interrupted.
“Excuse me? For everyone who’s unclear, I’m not suggesting that Aryna is having fun at these parties. I’m saying she makes a lot of appearances, and there’s a lot to do,” the reporter continued.
The reporter then asked, “Now that the tournaments started, do you find you’re getting quite serious and combative?”
“Oh yeah, I wasn’t serious before that,” Sabalenka answered. “Next question. 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’
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) September 3, 2026
“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
Aryna Sabalenka already had to deal with similar questions
After her first round win over Camila Osorio at the U.S. Open, Aryna Sabalenka was asked by a reporter, “You had so many events the week before, and that can be exhausting… How do you balance your energy to focus on the tournament?”
“What’s your specific question here?” she replied.
“Last week you were caught up with a lot of things, and now it’s just about focusing on tennis. How do you maintain that concentration?” the reporter tried to clarify.
“Why do you think I wasn’t focused on tennis last week?” Sabalenka responded. “My entire schedule is built around tennis, and those events don’t drain my energy. They are my off-court hobby, and in fact, they give me a ton of energy.”
Aryna Sabalenka in U.S. Open press after her 1st round win
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 31, 2026
Aryna: “What is the question there?”
“I’m curious, you had so much going on last week. Now it’s just focus on tennis and there’s a bit of pressure..”
Aryna: “Why do you think the week before I wasn’t focused on… pic.twitter.com/rWVeeZVxdo