Aryna Sabalenka Drops the F Bomb At Italian Open

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is known for her playful presence on the tennis court, especially when she loses. The Belarusian has often shown her lighter side after losses, such as the Indian Wells final and the Australian Open final. However, she was not in the mood for funny games during the Italian Open quarterfinal against Qinwen Zheng.

Zheng, the Olympic Gold medalist, has created one of the shocks of the season so far, defeating Sabalenka in straight sets 6-4, 6-3. Although the top seed still goes into Roland Garros as the heavy favorite, this loss dented her confidence. However, the loss wasn’t the major talking point as the Belarusian was receiving some public interference.

What Happened?

Zheng’s stunning display of shot-making and movement caught Sabalenka off guard. As a result, the World No. 1 remained unsettled, and it felt like anger was building inside her. The anger reached a boiling point when a fan from the crowd encouraged her to play well. However, it didn’t sit well with Sabalenka as she dropped the F bomb. According to the visuals seen on X, Sabalenka said, “Shut the f*** up.”

The chair umpire immediately warned the World No. 1 for a code violation. Initially, the crowd booed, but the match continued, and it didn’t seem to halt Zheng’s momentum. The Chinese player has been scintillating on clay. This is arguably the second biggest win of her career after the win over Iga Swiatek last year in the Paris Olympics semifinal.

It has been an emotional couple of months for Sabalenka, who has shown both her banter and angry side. After she lost to Madison Keys in the Australian Open final, she showed her funny side in the post-match ceremony. However, there were also occasions like the one at the Stuttgart Open against Elise Mertens. The World No. 1 confronted the chair umpire on a controversial line call and took a picture of the ball spot with her camera.

Zheng Breaks the Duck

Meanwhile, Zheng finally won her first match over Sabalenka in seven attempts. The Olympic champion claimed that she used to give the World No. 1 great respect, which created a negative mindset. Sabalenka has stopped Zheng on the biggest stages, including the 2024 Australian Open final. However, it was Zheng’s time at the Italian Open. She will now meet Coco Gauff in the semifinals.