Aryna Sabalenka has spent the opening days of the US Open doing what the defending champion is supposed to do… winning tennis matches. Yet somehow, her post-match press conferences have become almost as much of a talking point as her performances on court. After beating Camila Osorio in the first round, Sabalenka bristled when a reporter connected her busy New York schedule with her ability to concentrate on tennis. After another routine victory, this time a 6-1, 6-1 demolition of Polina Iatcenko, the same subject returned, only this time with the words “parties and fun” thrown into the question.
And Sabalenka snapped. “You guys are like a joke. Parties. Fun. Why would you even say that?” she responded. When the reporter clarified that the question was about her appearances rather than partying, Sabalenka shot back: “You literally said that.” Eventually, after being asked whether she had become more “serious and combative” now that the tournament had started, came the line that will probably travel furthest: “Oh yeah, I wasn’t serious before that. Next question. Think before you say stuff.”
US Open 2026: Aryna Sabalenka Has a Point About The Questions
Here is where I find myself siding with Sabalenka. Not because every answer needs to be applauded, but because the premise behind these questions deserves some scrutiny. Sabalenka attended brand events and promotional appearances in New York. She posted them on Instagram. Fine. But when did that automatically become evidence that she was partying, neglecting training or treating the US Open like an afterthought?
The first question already contained the assumption that she had somehow been less focused because she had “so much going on”. Sabalenka immediately asked: “Why do you think the week before I wasn’t focused on tennis?” That is a fair question.
Aryna Sabalenka was not happy with a question she received during her U.S. Open press conference, ‘Think before you say stuff’
“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
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) September 3, 2026
US Open: Aryna Sabalenka’s Instagram is Not Her Training Diary
This is the part that gets lost in the social-media age. What an athlete posts is not necessarily the full picture of what an athlete does. Sabalenka has commercial commitments. She has sponsors. She has a life away from the court. She also happens to post that life publicly. None of that means she is spending her nights partying and her mornings avoiding practice.
As she explained after the first-round win, “It’s like my hobby outside of tennis. The whole schedule we plan is all around tennis.”That should have been the end of it. Instead, the same theme returned 24 hours later.
Huge respect to @SabalenkaA as she is simply not taking anymore nonsense from establishment journalists! 👏
Wish there were more players like Aryna! ✊🏽
Journalist: “You had so many events the week before, and that can be exhausting… How do you balance your energy to focus on…
— Pavvy G (@pavyg) August 31, 2026
US Open: Maybe Aryna Sabalenka is Tired of Defending Herself
There is also a wider irony here. Sabalenka is the world No.1, a four-time Grand Slam champion and the two-time defending US Open champion. She has now won her opening two matches in New York and is chasing a third straight title.
Ask her about her tennis. Ask why 2026 has not produced another major title. Ask about her mentality, her game, her next opponent. There are plenty of legitimate questions.
But repeatedly asking whether the woman posting from brand events was having “fun” before the tournament starts looking less like journalism and more like trying to catch her out.
Sabalenka may have a short fuse in the press room. Perhaps she could handle some questions with less bite. But reporters also need to remember that an athlete is not obliged to accept the premise of a question simply because it has been asked.
And if Sabalenka keeps winning while the questions keep circling back to parties, perhaps the press room is looking in the wrong direction.
