Aryna Sabalenka Angrily Bounces Ball Back to the Ball Kid During Shock Cincinnati Defeat

Aryna Sabalenka found herself on the receiving end of criticism due to her conduct during her shock fourth-round defeat to Sara Bejlek on Thursday (August 19) in the ongoing Cincinnati Open. Sabalenka, who was bidding to win her first title since this year’s Miami Open, lost with a scoreline of 7-6(7), 6-4.

En route to her defeat, Sabalenka, at one point, flung her racket in frustration. When she threw it on the ground, it resulted in a delay because she lost the vibration dampener. The ball kids started searching for the dampener as her opponent waited to serve for the set. Sabalenka pulled out a replacement dampener, and the match resumed.

Then, in the first game of the second set, when Sabalenka trailed 15-40, she appeared to wait impatiently for the ball kid. And when a ball was thrown toward her, she bounced it back toward the ball kid.

Here’s the video of the same:

Aryna Sabalenka kaybederken yine agresif ve saygısız modunu açıyor pic.twitter.com/dvVR07aU1o

— Dodikan #Tennis (@Dogukandilber) August 20, 2026

Bejlek, who clinched the biggest win of her career, will next be locking horns with 2025 Australian Open champion Madison Keys. Before upsetting the four-time Grand Slam singles champion, the Czech had defeated Karolina Pliskova, Barbora Krejcikova, and Ekaterina Alexandrova.

I totally lost my words. I just keep believing, and that was the key today. She played amazing tennis, and I was just believing, keep fighting and I was just trying my best, and that’s it.

Sara Bejlek said during the on-court interview

Bejlek will be playing her career’s first WTA 1000 quarterfinals. Before the Cincinnati Open, she reached the fourth round of a WTA 1000 event only on her debut at the 2024 Madrid Open.

The 20-year-old is chasing her second tour-level title. Back in February, she clinched the Abu Dhabi Open by defeating Alexandrova.

Aryna Sabalenka on her emotional outbursts

For Aryna Sabalenka, letting out her frustrations while playing helps her regain composure. So many times, emotions got the better of the World No. 1, which led to upsets, including in Major finals.

I will never be completely in control. When I hold that negativity inside, it keeps growing, growing, growing, growing. It destroys you from the inside to the point that you don’t have any energy and power to compete and to fight. So I’ve found it really helpful to just yell something. I have to release it. Between the sets, you just go to that room, you let it go, and you come back as a new person.

Aryna Sabalenka told TIME

Sabalenka will now hope to regain her form before the US Open, the singles main draw of which starts on August 30. She will be competing as the defending champion. Last year, she defeated home favorite Amanda Anisimova in the final.

Sabalenka will lose her No.1 ranking if Elena Rybakina reaches the final of the ongoing tournament. Rybakina, however, has a tough challenge in the fourth round in the form of Iga Swiatek.

Swiatek, also competing as the defending champion, is chasing her second title of the season following her win at the Canadian Open. The six-time Grand Slam champion holds a 7-6 head-to-head record over Rybakina.

It was Rybakina who defeated Sabalenka in the final of this year’s Australian Open. Sabalenka then denied her the Indian Wells title. Prior to her defeat to Swiatek in the Canadian Open final, the Kazakh ace clinched the Stuttgart Open against Karolina Muchova.

Sabalenka, on the other hand, has so far clinched three titles this season. Apart from the Miami Open, she won the Brisbane International and the Indian Wells Open.

Also read: Coco Gauff Speaks on Potentially Playing With Carlos Alcaraz in Mixed Doubles