“Cakegate!” – Aryna Sabalenka AWKWARDLY addresses the cake fiasco after her title triumph in Madrid but fans aren’t budging
Aryna Sabalenka subtly addresses the 'cake controversy' by thanking the organizers for their special effort.
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Aryna Sabalenka (Image via Getty Images)
Aryna Sabalenka displayed a lighthearted reaction to the cake controversy, which began after tennis fans started comparing her celebration to that of Carlos Alcaraz. The Belarusian jokingly credited the “amazing cake” for her Madrid Open victory.
The World No.2 won her first WTA 1000 title of the season in Madrid. She claimed the title after her spectacular win over Iga Swiatek. After her semi-final triumph, Sabalenka was presented with a ‘celebratory cake’ by the organizers. But the scale of the celebration was different as compared to the Spanish player, Carlos Alcaraz. This generated huge chaos on the internet and terms like ‘sexism’ and ‘favoritism’ were used to address the situation.
During her on-court speech, the Australian Open champion handled the situation on a bright note. She thanked the organizers for their special effort.
The ongoing controversy was also addressed by her compatriot Victoria Azarenka, as she criticized the ‘differential treatment‘ between ATP and WTA. The internet also responded while taking different sides. Fans cited Sabalenka’s response as ‘hilarious’ and a ‘smart joke’ considering the situation.
On the other hand, the critics of the sport thought her comment was ‘unnecessary’ and ‘immature’. They stated that a player like her caliber should focus more on her game and stop giving attention to trivial issues.
Sabalenka reached the finals of the Stuttgart Open but faced a straight-sets defeat at the hands of Iga Swiatek. Her potential title claim at Indian Wells Masters was also cut short after she lost the tough battle to Elena Rybakina.
Aryna Sabalenka overcomes the ‘unstoppable’ Iga Swiatek
Aryna Sabalenka claimed the Madrid Open title after her sensational win over Iga Swiatek. The Belarussian won her third title of the season and first on the clay surface. She also cited that she used Swiatek as her source of motivation and has a huge respect for World No.1.
“That’s why I respect her a lot and that’s why I’m saying that what she’s done in tennis motivates me a lot. First of all, it’s tough physically against her and secondly, mentally. Because you feel like you don’t have these few games to drop your level. You always have to stay high with her,” she said during the press conference at Madrid.
With her back-to-back final appearances this season, the World No.2 feels incredible about her current state. She stated that her team is quite motivated and they are trying different ways to improve her game style.
“What we’re doing this season is something incredible,” Sabalenka said. “It’s really motivating us a lot. It’s inspiring each of my team members to work hard, think openly, to be open to new things to improve my game, my mental side of the game, everything. It’s something really inspiring,” she further added.
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Nikhil Sonmali
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