Aryna Sabalenka aims to be ‘good example’ in tennis after racket throw at Wuhan Open
After being criticized for nearly hitting a ball kid with her tennis racket during her semifinal defeat to Jessica Pegula at the Wuhan Open Saturday, Aryna Sabalenka spoke about her desire to be a “good example” to young tennis players, and acknowledged her sometimes falling short.
“For me, tennis became something much bigger when I lost my father,” Sabalenka told the AFP at an event in Hong Kong. “Now I just want to see how far I can go in this sport and inspire the next generation.”
“I want to be a good example, maybe. Sometimes I’m not a good example. But maybe also an example of what not to do,” Sabalenka said.
“Most of the time, I’m trying to be a good example for the next generation, and that’s what inspires me.”
The world No. 1 had led the final set in Wuhan 5-2, before Pegula of the U.S. stormed back to lead 6-5. When the American broke Sabalenka’s serve in the 11th game, Sabalenka hurled her racket at the side of the court in frustration. It struck a bench and rebounded back toward the net, narrowly missing the ball kid standing close by. Sabalenka received a warning for racket abuse from the chair umpire, but no further punishment.
A representative for Sabalenka did not respond to a request for comment on the incident from The Athletic.
Sabalenka managed to win the next game to force a deciding tiebreak, but Pegula took it to win the match 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(2), ending two remarkable Sabalenka streaks in the process. The world No. 1 had won 19 consecutive tiebreaks, and had also won 20 Wuhan Open matches in a row.
Pegula’s run ended in the final, where she fell to Coco Gauff 6-4, 7-5. Gauff was at the center of another controversy surrounding Sabalenka earlier this year at the French Open. After losing to Gauff in the final, Sabalenka initially dismissed her opponent’s role in the match in both her on-court interview and her post-match news conference.
“(Coco) won the match not because she played incredible,” Sabalenka told reporters, “just because I made all of those mistakes.” On-court, she had lamented her “terrible tennis” and blamed the windy conditions in Paris.
She later apologized for her comments, telling Eurosport Germany that she reached out to Gauff personally.
“That was just completely unprofessional of me,” Sabalenka said. “I let my emotions get the better of me. I absolutely regret what I said back then.
“We all make mistakes. I’m only human and I’m still learning in life. We all have those days when we lose control.”
Sabalenka, who has been a dominant force since becoming world No. 1 for the second time in the fall last year, has four Grand Slam titles to her name. She claimed back-to-back Australian Open titles in 2023 and 2024, achieving the same feat at the U.S. Open in 2024 and 2025.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
Tennis, Women's Tennis
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