Aryna Sabalenka entertains fans whenever she sets foot on the court, even if she does annoy some of them…
Beating Amanda Anisimova in the US Open final, Sabalenka won her fourth Grand Slam title.
She also finished the year ranked number one in the world, ahead of her closest rivals, Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff.
Sabalenka is undoubtedly one of the best and most entertaining players on the WTA Tour, but she’s far from perfect.
Appearing as a guest on the ‘Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon‘, Sabalenka admitted what she does when playing tennis, which can be annoying for fans.
Aryna Sabalenka admits her grunts are ‘so bad’ for spectators
Fallon asked the world number one whether she is conscious of her grunting during matches.
“I have zero control over it,” said Sabalenka.
“One time, I played an exhibition with Novak [Djokovic], and they put a mic on me.
“I realised that I was grunting and I’m like, Oh my god, that’s so bad for people.
“We need to offer earplugs to them!
“I don’t want to annoy people. I wanted to take off the mic, but I think they shut the sound off on the mic when I was hitting the ball.”
Sabalenka is no stranger to exhibitions as she continues to play tennis during the off-season.
Competing at Madison Square Garden this week in the ‘Garden Cup’, Sabalenka certainly enjoyed herself.
What do you really think about tennis exhibitions?
“I absolutely love New York, I love the crowd, playing in front of everybody. Being back in New York was so much fun,” she said.
“That’s insane, incredible, knowing how many artists performed there, how many athletes played there, big names, being in line with those people, it’s incredible.
“I’ll definitely remember that moment for the rest of my life. That was my first time, it was an experience, it’s fun.”
Sabalenka was joined in Madison Square Garden by Naomi Osaka, Tommy Paul, and Nick Kyrgios.
She and Kyrgios will be reunited later this month in Dubai…
‘I’m going to kick his a–‘ Aryna Sabalenka backs herself to beat Nick Kyrgios
Sabalenka and Kyrgios will face off in a ‘Battle of the Sexes’ clash in Dubai later this month.
The match has caused quite a stir, with some suggesting a defeat for Sabalenka would negatively impact the women’s game.
What will the impact on women’s tennis be if Nick Kyrgios wins easily?
Sabalenka, however, is feeling positive about the event and believes she has what it takes to defeat the 2022 Wimbledon finalist.
“I like to challenge myself, and playing against a male athlete, against Nick, it’s a big challenge, and I like it, I like to accept it,” she said.
“And I think we’re kind of bringing tennis to the next level, the visibility that it’s got already, it’s incredible, a lot of big people are coming to watch us.
“It’s a historical moment, but we’re doing it for fun reasons, to help tennis grow, it’s already got a lot of attention, it’s going to be fun, it’s going to be a great high-level match, for sure, and I’m going to kick his a– 100%.”
While others argue the match is a lose-lose for Sabalenka, she thinks the opposite.
“You don’t understand how stressed he is, because for him, it’s a lose-lose, for me, it’s a win-win,” she said.
“I’m so excited, it’s going to bring a lot of attention, and help tennis grow.”
Sabalenka and Kyrgios are following in the footsteps of Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs, who contested a ‘Battle of the Sexes’ match at the Astrodome in Texas back in 1973.
There have been several lower-profile ‘Battle of the Sexes’ matches played since, including Martina Navratilova vs Jimmy Connors in 1992.
Which two players in tennis history would you like to see in a Battle of the Sexes match?
On that occasion, a 40-year-old Connors beat 35-year-old Navratilova in straight sets 7-5, 6-2.
Sabalenka will certainly want to provide a tougher challenge when she takes on Kyrgios.
The pair will face off in their ‘Battle of the Sexes’ match in Dubai on Sunday, December 28.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
