'You Guys Are A Joke' - Aryna Sabalenka Blasts Reporter Over 'Party' Question At US Open - Watch
Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka blasted a reporter over his questions about her pre-tournament activities following the US Open second-round win overRussian qualifier Polina Iatcenko.
- Aryna Sabalenka blasted a reporter over his questions about her pre-tournament activities at the US Open 2026
- At the post-match press conference, Sabalenka was asked about "parties and fun" ahead of the competition
- "You guys are, like, a joke. Parties, fun... like, why would you even say that?" the World No. 1 said
Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka blasted a reporter over his questions about her pre-tournament activities following the US Open second-round win over Russian qualifier Polina Iatcenko. The two-time champion looked in complete control as she brushed aside her opponent 6-1, 6-1 in just 53 minutes. At the post-match press conference, Sabalenka was asked about "parties and fun" ahead of the competition but she fired back that her off-court appearances did not come at the expense of her preparation. "You guys are, like, a joke. Parties, fun... like, why would you even say that? Why would you even think about that? What kind of question is that?" the world number one said. "Just because I posted, like, some activities with brands, and you think that I've been partying, not training?" Sabalenka added after she cut short the question from the reporter.
Aryna Sabalenka was not happy with a question she received during her U.S. Open press conference, ‘Think before you say stuff'
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) September 3, 2026
“How are you finding your mood now that the tournament has started? Obviously last week it's lots of parties and fun and stuff like that..”
Aryna: “You… pic.twitter.com/CPZvShRbSI
Sabalenka went on to claim that she was happy with both her level and focus on the court after the impressive victory.
"I've been working really hard, but I feel like I'm kind of moving away from trying to be perfect on court," Sabalenka said. "I know that you cannot be perfect, and I'm just trying to work with what I have right now."
Sabalenka will look to clinch her third consecutive US Open title after winning the previous two editions.
"I think I struggled a little bit in the middle of the season. Once again, I'm not going to defend myself or explain why, what happened, but I'm happy with my level," the 28-year-old said.
"I can definitely say that mentally I'm way stronger than I was in the middle of the season, and physically I also feel stronger. I feel like I'm on my level of play, and I just want to bring the right focus on the match every time."