Aryna Sabalenka’s season has been a magnet for controversy, and it’s not just about her fierce playing style. Who can forget her controversial comments following her French Open final loss to Coco Gauff, comments she later owned up to, trying to make amends. But the Belarusian’s tumultuous run started even earlier, when she clashed with Marta Kostiuk in Rome, drawing attention for her conduct before the drama in Paris had even begun. Now, the Russian is breaking her silence about that fiery encounter.
On May 13, at the Italian Open, the 23-year-old Ukrainian battled toe-to-toe with the world number one in a pulsating match that stretched beyond two hours. The scoreline—1-6, 6-7(8)—barely tells the story. In that tense second set, Kostiuk even grabbed a 5-4 lead, edging dangerously close to forcing a decisive set. Then, chaos kicked in.
Journalists at sport-express.ua recently decided to dig up that moment and put Kostiuk on the spot. Did she ever try clearing the air with Aryna Sabalenka? Not a chance. “I have no personal contact with Aryna and I certainly don’t intend to discuss this with her,” Kostiuk snapped, making her stance crystal clear.
LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 06: Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus celebrates during the Ladies Singles fourth round match on day seven of The Championships Wimbledon 2025 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 06, 2025 in London, England Photo by MB Media PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xHiroshixSatox
So what, exactly, happened during that dramatic game? Sabalenka, as she was about to serve, hit pause mid-point—insisting that rain made play impossible. The umpire pressed to continue, but both players took a break anyway. Strangely, there were zero repercussions for Aryna Sabalenka. She got to retake her first serve as if nothing happened.
Kostiuk was stunned by how things unfolded, and her frustration spilled past the final point. She refused to shake Sabalenka’s hand, keeping up her open policy against competitors from Russia and Belarus. Afterward, her surprise lingered: “During the tiebreak, (Sabalenka – ed.) had already served her first serve, started the rally, and suddenly stopped it herself. I’ve never seen a player who initiated a rally and then stopped it herself be able to serve her first serve again. The umpire didn’t say anything about it. It was really strange,” she said, shaking her head.
These rivals have now squared off four times since 2022, with Sabalenka sweeping every encounter, 4-0. Lately, press conference soundbites have fueled the fire, but this time, Kostiuk sounded utterly exhausted.
She left with a thinly veiled swipe: “I think there’s no point in commenting on this in detail. Everyone has already seen it. The situation is in the past and cannot be changed. I hope that when I’m at the top of the rankings, I will behave differently in such situations,” she finished, leaving all the drama on the court.
Though the incident happened two months ago, Sabalenka’s trouble streak continued last month at the Berlin Open. In her second-round match against Rebeka Masarova, she was visibly frustrated when play was halted due to poor lighting and a slippery court—even as she led 6-2 in the first set. She didn’t hold back, questioning the umpire sharply: “You are stopping the match because she says that side is slippery? I just played two games on that side.” Recently, her ex-coach stepped up to speak about her attitude on the court.
Aryna Sabalenka’s former coach talks about her “explosive” side
On July 18, Dmitry Tursunov found himself back in the media spotlight, fielding questions for Sports Express about his infamous coaching split with Aryna Sabalenka. When pressed if he ever got the official, “Dmitry, I am firing you,” straight from Sabalenka, his response was pure theatre—a hearty laugh followed by, “No, I don’t. We’re on a first-name basis, haha. Seriously, at first it seemed that Aryna could change her mind again.” That playful retort revealed just how unpredictable things got behind their coaching curtain.
Tursunov didn’t hold back, offering a window into the emotional high-wire act of working with the fiery Belarusian. “After all, she is explosive, sometimes she freaks out, blurts out something – then apologizes,” he confessed. “But when she took a new coach, it became clear that there would definitely be no third return. For me, it was a difficult moment, what to hide. But I said to myself – we need to move on. And on the same day, I agreed to work with another girl.” With a mix of candor and resilience, he turned the page on their dazzling, if chaotic, story.
Their partnership sparked to life in summer 2018 and lit up the tennis world. Sabalenka and Tursunov formed a formidable duo, notching trophy runs in New Haven and Wuhan and launching 2019 with a Shenzhen crown. But as the season rolled on, the wins started to dwindle; the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic runner-up finish became her lone deep run. By the time the 2019 US Open arrived, the No.9 seed left the draw in round two, signaling the magic was wearing thin.
Now, as Aryna Sabalenka aims to defend her US Open crown, skipping the National Bank Open to laser-focus on the next Grand Slam, the drama seems determined to chase her shadow. Can she silence the off-court noise? Let us know what you think!
The post Aryna Sabalenka Under Fire as 23YO WTA Star Ignites Debate Over Controversial On-Court Moment appeared first on EssentiallySports.
