Aryna Sabalenka drew the ire of fans in the final of the 2025 French Open, wherein her constant grunting against Coco Gauff felt excessive and “annoying” to many watching the clash.
In a battle of the World No. 1 vs the World No. 2, Sabalenka and Gauff put on a close, albeit errant, display of power hitting on Court Philippe-Chartrier on Saturday. After Sabalenka ran away with a 4-1 lead initially, the American bounced back with a triumphant roar, leveling things at 4-4 after her opponent’s service games slowly deteriorated in dominance.
More than the tennis, it was the way Sabalenka reacted between rallies that shocked fans watching the final. Many on social media thought that the World No. 1 was grunting even more than she usually does in matches, to the point that it was affecting the quality of their watching experience at home.
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"Sabalenka’s grunt is so excessive. Genuinely so difficult to watch," one fan said.
One fan, meanwhile, was of the opinion that what Sabalenka was doing with her grunting should be deemed "illegal" as it also affected her opponent's concentration on the other end of the quote.
"Sabalenka’s grunt should be illegal. Beyond annoying. #rollandgarros," one fan opined.
Here are a few more reactions from fans:
"Sabalenka not getting hindrance warnings for this is crazy corruption," one fan wrote.
"Aryna Sabalenka's grunt changing literally every shot in that point lol #RolandGarros," another said.
"I cannot root for Sabalenka because of her wailing moans throughout the match... Shameful display!" one commented.
At the time of writing, the first set was tied at 5-5 after Gauff saved two set points on Sabalenka's serve at 5*-4.
