Aryna Sabalenka, the runner-up at the Australian Open, might face a hefty fine due to her emotional outburst after losing the final to Madison Keys. Her reaction included smashing her racquet, which has split opinions among fans. Some believe it detracted from Keys’ celebration of her first grand slam title, while others see it as a testament to how much the win meant to Sabalenka.
After the match, Sabalenka was visibly distraught, having missed the chance to win her third consecutive Australian Open and join the ranks of tennis legends. She initially hid her face in a towel but managed to regain her composure for her speech, earning back some fan support with her grace.
However, her racquet-smashing incident could cost her between $15,000 to $20,000, given it happened during such a high-profile match. The maximum fine for racquet abuse is $50,000, but considering the context, her penalty might not reach that amount.
In other news, Novak Djokovic has faced criticism for posting his injury scans right when the tennis community was celebrating Keys’ victory, somewhat overshadowing her achievement.
Sabalenka admitted her racquet smash helped release frustration ahead of the classy runner-up speech. “There definitely was a bit of frustration because I was so close to achieving something crazy,” Sabalenka said. “When you’re out there, you’re fighting, but it seems like everything going not the way you really want to go. I just needed to throw those negative emotions at the end just so I could give a speech, not stand there being disrespectful. I was just trying to let it go and be a good person.”
Daniil Medvedev copped massive Australian Open fine
Daniil Medvedev received a $16,000 fine for his first-round antics where he smashed a Go-Pro camera on the net. Although Medvedev’s act seemed more aggressive due to his multiple attempts to hit the camera, it didn’t occur during a high-profile event like Sabalenka’s incident in the women’s final, which had a global audience. This is why Sabalenka could be looking at a fine exceeding $20,000.
However, the fine would be relatively minor for Sabalenka, who earned $1.9 million for being the runner-up. On the other hand, Medvedev faced a total of $122,000 in fines, which included a penalty for intimidating an official by pretending to hit a ball at them.
Novak Djokovic called out over timing of injury revelation
As Aryna Sabalenka awaits her fine for her outburst, Novak Djokovic has drawn criticism for his timing in responding to his detractors. While the tennis community was celebrating Madison Keys’ monumental grand slam win, many believed Djokovic’s response to his critics overshadowed her achievement. Djokovic had faced boos from the crowd when he retired hurt during his semi-final match against Alexander Zverev after only one set.
His injury, a hamstring tear from his quarter-final match against Carlos Alcaraz, was under scrutiny. Despite finishing that intense four-set match and appearing to move well, there were doubts about the severity of his injury. Commentators like John McEnroe and Jim Courier noted that Djokovic seemed fine until his sudden withdrawal. The booing from the Rod Laver Arena audience led to a backlash, prompting Djokovic to share his injury scan on social media on Sunday morning.
Although the scan confirmed his injury, the timing was not well received by all. Some felt he should have waited to post, to not detract from Keys’ moment. Indeed, his injury became the headline over Keys’ victory in several media outlets. A Yahoo Sport Australia poll of over 2000 readers showed that 30 percent thought Djokovic’s post stole the focus from Keys, while 45 percent believed he didn’t need to share the scans at all, regardless of when he did it.
Despite the controversy, Djokovic did acknowledge Keys’ win and Sabalenka’s effort on social media. The tournament concluded with Jannik Sinner securing his second consecutive Australian Open title by defeating Zverev in the final with a stellar performance.
