A little bit of noise might be all that could halt Aryna Sabalenka’s momentum at the Australian Open.
The top women’s seed faced an early interference penalty during her semi-final against Elina Svitolina in Melbourne. The referee paused the match at the fourth game’s opening point because Sabalenka’s grunt after her forehand was deemed distracting enough that Svitolina should have received a point.
When Sabalenka requested a video review, the referee commented, “Oh, oh, oh, you’re not making a normal voice.”
Clearly frustrated by the decision, Sabalenka channeled that anger into her performance, breaking Svitolina’s serve and ultimately winning 6-2, 6-3.
Speaking to reporters afterward, she remarked, “Honestly, this has never happened to me. It’s just… different. My sounds are unique, I think. I don’t really know how to explain what makes it work so well. The ball was deep, the timing felt right, I was breathing—everything aligned. Then she called it, and I thought, ‘What? What’s the issue?'” She added that she believed the call was incorrect but insisted, “I’m not bothered by it.”
During the match, Sabalenka racked up 19 winners in the first set alone, breaking Svitolina’s serve twice and finishing with a total of 29 winners compared to her opponent’s 12.
Reflecting on the situation, Sabalenka said, “She really—what’s the best way to put it?—she really annoyed me, and that actually pushed me forward. It definitely fueled my game. I became more aggressive, frustrated by that call, and it helped me. So if she wants to do that again, she better watch out, because it helps me too.”
With this victory, Sabalenka reached the Australian Open final for the fourth consecutive time, making her the third woman in the tournament’s history to do so, following Evonne Goolagong and Martina Hingis.
In Saturday’s final, she will go up against fifth seed Elena Rybakina, who secured her place after defeating the last American contender, Jessica Pegula, with a score of 6-3, 7-6.
Rybakina noted their previous encounter in the 2023 final, saying, “It was a fierce battle back then. She played just a bit better, which was expected. I’m looking forward to enjoying the final and hope to improve my serve from today.”
— with AP
