(for those on the thread, there is also this video, which shows a camera crew. My apologies to Eurosport for making a negative assumption. Congratulations & respect to Sabalenka remain, and of course to the brilliant Coco Gauff)
(VIDEO) "It was performative for Netflix": Sabalenka accused of faking racket smash incident at US Open
Tennis NewsMonday, 11 September 2023 at 18:04
Aryna Sabalenka has been accused of faking a seemingly private moment of rage at the US Open after it was revealed that Netflix crews were filming the incident.
New World No. 1 Sabalenka had a successful run at the last Grand Slam of the year in New York. The Belarusian did not drop a set until the semi-finals, ousting the likes of thirteenth seed Daria Kasatkina and twenty-third seed Qinwen Zheng along the way.
In her semi-final match, she fought back against seventeenth-seed Madison Keys to make it to her first final at Flushing Meadows. However, although Sabalenka won the first set, she ultimately lost the match to home player Coco Gauff, who won 2-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Sabalenka vents anger after match
While Sabalenka was civil on the court and congratulated her opponent, it seemed as though she still needed to vent some rage off the court.
In footage that emerged yesterday, the 25-year-old can be seen in the gym area taking her racket out of the bag before smashing it repeatedly on the floor and throwing it in the bin.
At the time, many fans expressed their support for Sabalenka, with many condemning the fact that what looked to be a private moment was caught on camera and made public. Judy Murray, mother to Andy Murray, was one of these people.
"This footage should never have been made public. A private moment in an empty training room after the disappointment of losing a Grand Slam final," she wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Fans accuse Sabalenka of faking incident
However, a few hours later, a second clip emerged which showed the video from a wider angle, revealing a camera crew who were reportedly filming the second season of Netflix's 'Break Point', a docu-series that follows top-ranked tennis players to various tournaments.
This has led many to accuse Sabalenka of following a script and faking the seemingly raw moment of emotion.
"Most people don't believe that 45 minutes after a match, you just unzip your bag, take a racket, and smash it in frustration. It was performative for Netflix. Sabalenka is a huge phony," wrote one.
"In fact, I have watched Sabalenka play probably 100+ times and cannot think of many, if any, times I've seen her break a racket on the court. Tossed it many times. Smashed balls, don't remember racket breaking. Netflix producers prompted her to do so?" added another.
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