Aryna Sabalenka made a strong start to her US Open campaign by defeating Camila Osorio 6-2, 6-4 in the first round. While the match may not have been too dramatic, some real drama unfolded during Sabalenka’s post-match press conference. The Belarusian wasn’t too pleased when a reporter asked how she maintained her energy after attending multiple events in the week leading up to the Grand Slam.

“What is the question there?” she asked the reporter.

Sabalenka then clarified that attending brand events is one of her hobbies outside of tennis, and it is something that she really enjoys. The World No. 1 also insisted that the events do not take away from her focus, saying they actually give her energy.

“Why do you think that the week before I wasn’t focused on tennis?” she further asked. “It’s like my hobby outside of tennis, the whole schedule we plan is all around tennis. So, all of those events is not drawing me in any way. And all the people that I work with, all brands that I work with, I choose them very carefully.”

Aside from attending brand events in New York, Sabalenka was also busy with the US Open’s mixed doubles draw last week. She played alongside Novak Djokovic, but the two weren’t able to survive the first round and suffered a 1-4, 4-2, 10-2 defeat to Katerina Siniakova and Henry Patten.

Besides this, Sabalenka attended an event at jewelry brand Material Good’s SoHo flagship store. Notably, she wore the brand’s jewelry at the mixed doubles event. It was a collection of colorful gemstones that were worth approximately $330,000. Sabalenka was also named the new global brand ambassador of the premium beauty brand, Moroccanoil.

She further added, “I have to be really comfortable around those people, just so in that case, I’m not drawing my energy when I’m surrounded by them. I’m really enjoying my time with my brands, with people who work there, and I have fun. It’s my hobby outside of my tennis schedule, and it actually gives me so much energy.”

But Sabalenka showed that she wasn’t tired of her jam-packed schedule in the first round of the US Open. She began her title defense on a positive note and delivered a solid performance at the Arthur Ashe Stadium. And Sabalenka had a fitting reply in store for her critics after her win against Osorio.

“It took me a little while to shut down those noises,” she told Sky Sports Tennis. “There will always be people who support your choices, people who go against you, people who love you or hate you. I’m so tired of the miserable haters. I decided to stay strong with myself and trust the process, trust with my choices and taste. Whoever loves me will be there no matter what. Haters can go and get on with their own lives.” Notably, Sabalenka’s recent form has put her under the microscope, and the questions haven’t been limited to what happens between the lines.

In fact, over the past week, former tennis great Boris Becker also weighed in, suggesting that the Belarusian’s growing presence away from the court could be distracting her from tennis.

Boris Becker Questions Sabalenka’s Focus Away From Tennis

Social media and brand deals have become a big part of Sabalenka’s public persona. Whether she’s sharing glimpses of her life or joining the latest online trends, the World No. 1 has remained one of the tour’s most visible players off the court. But Becker believes that visibility may have started to come at the expense of her focus on tennis.

The 58-year-old pointed to how frequently Sabalenka appears online compared with her time on the practice courts and questioned whether her priorities have shifted.

“I like her, I enjoy watching her, but at the moment, she is seen more often on her social media platforms than on the tennis courts. That’s all fine,” Becker said.

He then raised a bigger question about where her focus lies, adding, “Maybe the focus has been lost a little. She has been playing successfully for a long time, has earned a lot of money, won a lot of titles, and so on. She’s recently engaged. Is her private life her focus right now? And tennis number two? Because that would explain it.”

Becker also floated another possibility: perhaps a change in coaching could help Sabalenka rediscover the level that has made her a Grand Slam champion and the world’s top-ranked player.

With her form already drawing plenty of attention and Elena Rybakina still in the conversation for the No. 1 ranking, Sabalenka has more than just another title to play for in New York. The next few matches could go a long way toward answering whether the criticism has any weight, or whether the Belarusian can simply let her tennis do the talking.

Sabalenka is scheduled to face Russian qualifier Polina Iatcenko in the second round at Flushing Meadows. Iatcenko is set to make things difficult, however, as of now, the Belarusian is the heavy favorite to win the clash.