"Wish they would just leave Aryna Sabalenka alone" - Fans angered by news headline criticizing Belarusian's racket smash after Miami Open 3R loss

Fans on social media were outraged by a news headline criticizing Aryna Sabalenka's racket smash following her third-round defeat at the 2024 Miami Open.

Sabalenka began her Miami campaign days after the tragic suicide of her ex-boyfriend and former ice hockey player, Konstantin Koltsov. Despite not being together at the time of his passing, Koltsov's death seemed to have a profound impact on Sabalenka. It led her to skip press conferences before and after her matches in Florida.

Sabalenka's journey at the Miami Open came to an end with a defeat at the hands of Anhelina Kalinina (6-4, 1-6, 6-1) in the third round. She had previously defeated Paula Badosa 6-4, 6-3 in the second round after receiving a first-round bye.

The World No. 2, frustrated by her loss to Kalinina, expressed her anger by smashing her racket on the court.

The incident caught the attention of the British tabloid, the Daily Mail, which criticized Aryna Sabalenka for her actions. The newspaper also highlighted her failure to shake hands with Kalinina.

Fans, however, defended the Belarusian, attributing her behavior to the grief she was experiencing over Koltsov's death and the disappointment of her loss in the third round.

One fan took to social media to express their support for Sabalenka, condemning the negative headline.

"I just hope Aryna isn’t seeing this type of stuff 😭 wish they would just leave her alone. The hate she gets is so unfair," a fan posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Another fan criticized the Daily Mail for sensationalizing the situation and creating drama.

"Daily Mail is the worst source for any kind of news, just wanna create drama. Shame on these people!" the fan posted.

One fan pointed out the inconsistency in singling out and making Russian and Belarusian players like Sabalenka the "villain" for not shaking hands at the net. The fan reasoned that it was Ukrainian players like Anhelina Kalinina who refuse to shake hands.

"What the actual f*ck. The day this handshake madness comes to an end is the day i will feel happiness. Always getting out to be a villain. So f*cking happy that she waited at the net for [Elina] Svitolina and that bow at the [Marta] Kostyuk match at rg [Roland Garros] like you don’t understand," a fan posted.

Here are a few more reactions from tennis fans:

---

Aryna Sabalenka won her second Grand Slam at Australian Open 2024

Aryna Sabalenka with the 2024 Australian Open trophy

Aryna Sabalenka won her second Grand Slam title at the 2024 Australian Open. She kicked off her campaign by dominating qualifier Ella Seidel 6-0, 6-1 in the opening round. This was followed by a convincing victory over another qualifier, Brenda Fruhvirtova (6-3, 6-2), in the second round.

Sabalenka continued her winning streak by defeating Lesia Tsurenko 6-0, 6-0 and Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 6-2 in the third and fourth rounds, respectively. She then faced off against Barbora Krejcikova in the quarterfinals, triumphing 6-2, 6-3, before overcoming Coco Gauff in the semifinals 7-6 (2), 6-4.

In the championship match, Aryna Sabalenka defeated Zheng Qinwen 6-3, 6-2 to claim the Australian Open title. With this win, the former World No. 1 became the first player to successfully defend her Melbourne Major title since Victoria Azarenka in 2013.