Aryna Sabalenka‘s grunt is her signature on the court. Her first serve usually clocks between 110 and 120 mph (177–193 km/h) and has peaked at a blistering 133 mph (214 km/h). Her forehand, averaging around 80 mph (129 km/h), ranks among the fastest in women’s tennis, even outpacing several top ATP players. The Belarusian, known for her aggressive and powerful shots, comes with a roar when her racket makes contact with the ball. But in the Australian Open semifinals against Elina Svitolina, she faced a call she didn’t see coming.

In the opening set on Thursday, Sabalenka led 2-1 when the umpire hit her with a hindrance call for grunting during a rally. The decision came while she was on return, catching both players off guard and stirring a murmur through the crowd.

Upon the interruption, Aryna Sabalenka immediately asked for a video review, eager to understand what had triggered the call. The chair umpire explained that her vocalization during the point was unlike her usual rhythm, disrupting the flow of play.

“You went ‘UH – AYA’… you don’t make the normal sound,” the umpire told her, standing by the hindrance ruling. The World No. 1 then asked if she could let out one long, continuous grunt, as long as it wasn’t broken mid-rally.

In the end, she still took the first set against Svitolina (6-2), her roar intact, though the match is far from over.

The World No.1’s power game was simply too much for Elina Svitolina to handle. The World No. 1 set the tone right away, erasing two early break points with four straight winners to hold serve. She kept the pressure on, landing 67% of her first serves and winning nearly 70% of those points. Time and again, her delivery pulled Svitolina wide, opening the court for blistering finishes that left little room for a response.

By the numbers, it told the story: 29 winners against Svitolina’s 17 unforced errors. The result was emphatic, a 6-2, 6-3 victory that sent Aryna Sabalenka straight into the final, where she’ll face Elena Rybakina in a blockbuster showdown.

Although the umpire’s call briefly cost her a point, it didn’t rattle her composure. The Belarusian has taken pride in her signature grunt for years. She even opened up about it recently during her appearance with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show back in December.

When asked, “Do you know that you’re making that noise in the moment?”

Sabalenka replied, “I have zero control over it. You know, one time we played an exhibition with Novak, and they put a mic on me, and I realized that I’m grunting, and I’m like, ‘Oh my God, that was so bad for people.’ I’m like, ‘We need to offer earplugs to them,’ you know? I was like, ‘I don’t want to annoy people.’ I wanted to take off the mic, but I think they shut the sound on my mic when I was hitting the ball.”

That sound has become part of her rhythm, an instinctive force behind her power. It’s an unconscious habit that fuels her explosiveness on court. With four Grand Slam titles already, her grunt has delivered results. And now, she’s eyeing another one on Saturday. But the question remains: how does the Belarusian really feel about that umpire’s call?

Aryna Sabalenka opens up about the umpire’s move during the match

In her press conference, she admitted she wasn’t thrilled with how things played out—but made it clear there’s no reason to worry about it happening again.

“I was not happy with the call, and it really helped me to get that game,” she admitted. “So if she ever want[s] to do it again, like, I want to make sure that she’s not afraid of it. Go ahead, call it. It’s going to help me.”

The match, though, wasn’t all smooth sailing for the world No. 1. Elina Svitolina had her moment early on, especially at 15-30 in the first set when she eyed a break-back chance. But chasing down a mishit drop shot from Sabalenka, she overhit her reply, and three quick points later the score read 4-1 in the Belarusian’s favor.

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Then came a brief wobble at the start of the second set. Sabalenka dropped her first service game and let out her frustration with an animated burst toward her box, pointing to her head as she aired her complaints. But that flash of emotion quickly turned into fuel—she broke straight back and powered through the rest of the set like the top seed she is.

Now, Aryna Sabalenka’s heading into her fourth straight Australian Open final. Her opponent? A familiar face she last battled for the title at the 2025 WTA Finals, and the same one she beat for her maiden Melbourne crown in 2023. Will she repeat it and make history?