Aryna Sabalenka rebuked award-winning sportswriter Matthew Futterman after being asked about the parties and brand appearances surrounding her US Open title defence.
The world No 1 had just completed a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Russian qualifier Polina Iatcenko in the second round at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Wednesday when the exchange took place.
Futterman, a senior writer for The Athletic, asked how Sabalenka was feeling now the tournament had begun, referring to the events and appearances she had attended in New York during the previous week.
Sabalenka objected to the suggestion that those commitments had affected her preparation, saying: “You guys are, like, a joke. Parties, fun. Why would you even say that?”
She added that her social-media posts showing activities with sponsors did not mean she had been “partying, not training”, before cutting off an attempt by Futterman to clarify his question.
When asked whether she was now becoming more serious and combative with the tournament under way, the two-time defending champion replied sarcastically: “Oh, yeah, I wasn’t serious before that.”
As another journalist began to speak, Sabalenka added: “Think before you say stuff.”
The Belarusian’s emphatic win over Iatcenko lasted 53 minutes and sent her into the third round without dropping a set. The official US Open website recorded that she advanced after conceding just two games.
Sabalenka will next face Uzbekistan’s Kamilla Rakhimova on Friday as she continues her bid to become the first woman since Serena Williams to win three consecutive US Open singles titles in the Open Era.
The exchange followed a similar line of questioning after her opening-round victory over Camila Osorio, when Sabalenka challenged the idea that her off-court commitments indicated a lack of focus on tennis.
