Social media makes it easy to judge athletes without knowing what happens behind closed doors. Aryna Sabalenka’s brand appearances became an easy target as soon as her form dipped. But after crushing Polina Iatcenko 6-1, 6-1 in the US Open second round, the World No. 1 had heard enough and tore into a reporter who questioned whether her off-court life had compromised her preparation.
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You guys are like a joke. Party is fun? Like, why would you even say that? Why would you even think about that? What kind of question is that?” Sabalenka responded. “Just because I posted some activities with brands, you think that I’ve been partying, not training?”
The reporter clarified that he meant Sabalenka had attended several events, not that she had been partying. But when he asked whether she had become more serious and combative since the tournament began, she shot back, “Oh, yeah, I wasn’t serious before that. Next question.” She then warned him, “Think before you say stuff.”
Well, Sabalenka has never hidden her life off the court.
Win or lose, she floods social media with tournament updates, behind-the-scenes clips, and viral TikTok dances with her coaches. That openness has made her popular with fans, but it has also given critics ammunition to question whether tennis always comes first.
But Sabalenka’s social media presence is also part of her business. Before the US Open, she attended promotional events for Dobel Tequila and Material Good, visited Gucci’s New York flagship store, and announced a new partnership with Moroccanoil. Those appearances expanded her brand portfolio, but they also fueled the perception that her focus had shifted away from tennis.
Sabalenka has made no apologies for her active online life. In a recent interview with Time, she called social media an escape from the grind of the Tour and made it clear that she had stopped caring about the criticism.
However, it has not been only fans and outside critics who have questioned Sabalenka’s serious commitment to her on-court performances. Former World No. 1 Boris Becker alluded to the Belarusian’s online activities while being quite harsh about her recent on-court struggles.
Sabalenka opened 2026 by winning 23 of her first 24 matches, but her form later dipped as she went 17-7 between her Miami Open triumph and the US Open. Still, writing her off in New York would be foolish. She has reached the semifinals in each of the last five years and won the title twice in a row.
The top seed opened her US Open campaign with a commanding 6-2, 6-4 victory over Camila Osorio.
Having won her two matches, Sabalenka will now face Kamila Rakhimova in the third round, who has beaten the likes of Barbora Krejcikova and Oksana Selekhmeteva in the first two rounds.