“Enough with this sh*tty final”- Aryna Sabalenka and Qinwen Zheng’s final at the Australian Open faces the heat from fans and protestors alike

Defending champ Aryna Sabalenka cruises to an impressive 6-3 1st set win vs. 12th-seeded Qinwen Zheng at the Australian Open finals.

“Enough with this sh*tty final”- Aryna Sabalenka and Qinwen Zheng’s final at the Australian Open faces the heat from fans and protestors alike

(L) Aryna Sabalenka and Qinwen Zheng, (R) Pro-Palestine supporter (Images via Twitter)

Controversy and Grand Slams are never distant, and the same has happened yet again at the 2024 Australian Open finals. The women’s singles title decider was being contested on the Rod Laver Arena, with defending champion Aryna Sabalenka taking on 12th-seeded Qinwen Zheng. 

Sabalenka quickly took control and made it 3-0 in no time. Zheng tried to fight back, but it wasn’t enough, as Sabalenka closed out the first set at 6-3 in just 33 minutes. The Chinese youngster’s nerves were on display, and the Belarusian made the most of it. 

YouTube video

The finals, however, were paused briefly due to a protest from the fully packed stand. With Zheng serving in the third game, the shouts and disturbances grew too much. The 21-year-old had to stop mid-serve as she glared at the chair umpire, hoping for better crowd control. 

FS Video

Despite the efforts of other spectators, there was no silence restored, and security had to eject the protestor. Carrying a Palestine flag, chants supporting the country in the war were made. While the motive was good, the place and timing certainly weren’t. 

The security had no choice but to eject him. The protestor made every attempt to make his voice heard and display the Palestinian flag, but Melbourne Park security was swift. Action resumed shortly after, and Zheng served out the game to win her first game of the second set. 

Fans rage at the protestor for disrupting the finals

To the disappointment of many, the finals have not been as competitive as they would have expected. Sabalenka has played in four Grand Slam finals across doubles and singles and has carried that confidence. 

Palestine supporter at the Australian Open finals
Palestine supporter at the Australian Open finals (Credits: Twitter)

Sharing a wide spectrum of reactions online, here’s what fans have to say:

As for Zheng, her performance has been below the standards she set during her run to the finals. With the protestor further delaying the clash, netizens were quick to criticize the quality of the match and the protestor as well. 

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