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Controversy erupted when Aryna Sabalenka posed with a puppy that was seemingly dyed in Pikachu colors. Fans slammed the Belarusian, claiming that such an act was dangerous for the dog.
Sabalenka shared a carousel of images on Instagram about her off-court adventures in Miami, where she won the Miami Open. One of these was that of the World No. 1 posing with a dog that was seemingly dyed yellow with a red patch on its cheek area, inspired by the beloved Pokemon character Pikachu. Many fans felt that through the image, Sabalenka supported the act of dying the dog and criticized her for the same.
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"Pupy😭😭 why Aryna? This is so bad," one fan wrote.
"Its dangerous for the dog," another fan wrote.
"This dog… WTF Aryna?" another fan asked.
"Please, a dog is not a toy," yet another fan wrote.
Some fans even shared a screenshot of the image on X and slammed the Belarusian.
"Say you're a dumb a** without saying you're a dumb a** @SabalenkaA," one fan wrote.
"Im her hater since day one and im glad to see i was right all the way," another fan wrote.
Aryna Sabalenka defeated Jessica Pegula to win the Miami Open 2025
Aryna Sabalenka began 2025 by winning the Brisbane International, however, seh lost two big finals at the Australian Open and the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. After the latter, she reached the title clash at the Miami Open, and this time, she did not falter, defeating Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2.
"Going into this match, I had the mentality that no matter what happens, if she's gonna break me, I had the mentality to stay there, to focus on myself, to fight for every point no matter what," Aryna Sabalenka said during her post-match interview.
"I didn't want to lose another final, to be honest," the champion continued. "It's really tough to lose in the final. So if someone would say that, I'd be, like, 'OK, it's going to be a battle, I'm ready for that.'"
Sabalenka has had an impressive start to the 2025 season, amassing 23 wins out of 27 matches so far, with two titles to her name. The Belarusian is next scheduled to start her clay-court season campaign at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, a tournament where she has lost three finals.
