Only in New York.

A lucky fan entered the spotlight on Monday night, stepping in to compete for tennis star Aryna Sabalenka during her exhibition match against Naomi Osaka at The Garden Cup at Madison Square Garden — and taking over for Osaka shortly thereafter.

Stumbling after a strong start, the fan seemingly received the full experience of being an athlete in New York City — with cheers shifting to boos within all of five minutes.

“It’s pressure,” the fan said in a post-match interview. “I don’t know what’s going on. I lost the match for her. I’m sorry Aryna, I still love you. You’re still my queen — I love you!”

Sabalenka, the top ranked women’s tennis player in the world, called for the fan to compete for her in the friendly exhibition event, strategically waiting until she was up 40–0 to do so. 

Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, seemed surprised when the fan lined up on the other end of the court — then looked astonished as he smashed a 105 mph rocket of a serve down the right side. 

This is INCREDIBLE @SabalenkaA brings fan out, but wait for it… pic.twitter.com/I3ePx8lRsa

— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) December 9, 2025

The pair rallied back-and-forth for a while, with Osaka easily returning the fan’s offerings until he eventually lost the point by hitting the ball into the net, prompting Sabalenka to sarcastically throw her hands in the air. 

The fan was gearing up for an interview before Osaka handed him her racket to play for her in the following game, but he was unable to recapture his success and quickly fell behind.

A shower of jeers from the MSG crowd rained down on the fan, sounding as if he had just cost the Knicks a playoff game.

The fan playfully shushed the fans, before blaming Osaka’s racket for his underwhelming return attempt, saying “I’m a Wilson player.”

Sabalenka handed the fan one of her rackets, but he once again failed to return the serve, costing Osaka on match point. 

Osaka jokingly punished the fan by making him do push-ups on the court, sending the crowd and her opponent into a fit of laughter. 

The fan got to take home the racket after the wild scene, and Osaka stepped back in to replay the match, ultimately enduring the same result in a loss. 

The Garden Cup is an annual exhibition event held at the “World’s Most Famous Arena,” which also featured a marquee singles matchup between Olympic gold medalist Tommy Paul and former Wimbledon runner-up Nick Kyrgios. 

To close the show, the four tennis superstars united for a mixed doubles match, where Osaka and Kyrgios took down Sabalenka and Paul.