Aryna Sabalenka suffered a meltdown after failing to complete a historic three-peat at the US Open , during which she only vented at the cameraman, but also smashed her racquet after going down in three sets against Elena Rybakina in the final last Saturday at the Arthur Ashe Stadium. And the Belarusian has now paid the price for her meltdown as the United States Tennis Association slapped her with a fine for her conduct.
The fine stemmed from the code violation she received in the opening set after Rybakina secured a break of serve. She hit the ball straight into the crowd in utter frustration, after which she received a warning from the umpire, but it didn’t stop her. Sabalenka was even seen hitting the ball angrily towards the back of the court, narrowly missing the cameraman. After the match ended, Sabalenka smashed her racquet and vented at the cameraman. “It’s really tough to control your emotions when you lose in the final of the Grand Slam and when you were trying to go for (a) three-peat, so I just wanted to let it go. “Obviously, not really happy with the level I played (at).
“I just wanted to let all of that aggression and disappointment go outside (on the court),” Sabalenka said in the post-match presentation ceremony. “I wish I could perform a little bit better, but I guess next year,” Sabalenka said. “I was just out there competing, trying to do my best with what I had,” Sabalenka said. “Not good enough.”
