Aryna Sabalenka booed by Wimbledon crowd after
The Independent • • sports
Key Points:
- Aryna Sabalenka was booed by the Wimbledon crowd after angrily hitting a ball out of Centre Court following her straight-sets loss to Naomi Osaka, who won 6-2, 7-6.
- The defeat marked Sabalenka’s earliest grand slam exit since the 2022 French Open and her first straight-sets loss at a major since the 2020 US Open, while Osaka ended Sabalenka’s streak of 21 consecutive grand slam tiebreak wins.
- Osaka advanced to the Wimbledon quarter-finals for the first time, becoming a significant contender in this year’s open women's tournament, which will crown a new champion for the 10th consecutive year.
- Sabalenka admitted her performance was below par and credited Osaka’s superior play, expressing frustration but also restraint to avoid damaging the court, while reflecting on the need to change her preparation or approach for future matches.
- After the defeat, Sabalenka said she wanted to forget about tennis temporarily and focus on recovery, declining to think about her ranking at this time.
