"Wow… so disrespectful": Fans criticise Aryna Sabalenka's team after controversial backroom video on social media following Australian Open final defeat

Women’s world number one Aryna Sabalenka and her team have received some strong criticism from the fans on social media for their behaviour towards the runner-up trophy at the Australian Open. The 26-year-old is regarded as one of the best players currently playing in women’s tennis, along with the likes of Poland’s Iga Swiatek and America’s Coco Gauff.

Sabalenka recently suffered a heartbreaking defeat in the final of the Australian Open to America’s Madison Keys with a score of 6-3, 2-6, 7-5. It was her first defeat while playing at the first Grand Slam of the year in three years as she lifted back-to-back titles in Melbourne.

A post on the social media platform X — previously known as Twitter — showed that Sabalenka’s team put the runner-up trophy on the floor after the final in the backroom and joked about peeing on it. Those gestures did not go down well with the social media users who lambasted Sabalenka and her team for being ‘disrespectful’. “Wow… so disrespectfull…,” one fan wrote. “So not ok. Even if they're joking,” another one mentioned. “Isn't that disrespectful,” was the words of another fan.

Talking after the match, Sabalenka stated that she had no interest in ending any competition as the runner-up as her only objective was to secure titles. The Minsk-born star also expressed optimism that next year, she will return better prepared to go all the way and lift another title in Melbourne.

“I think when you get to the point of finals, it's trophy or nothing,” said the three-time Grand Slam winner. “Nobody remembers the finalist, you know? Nobody put, like, next to the winner (the) finalist name. At this point, yeah, I go for titles. Of course, I have to be anyway proud of myself with the finals, three finals in a row. That's something crazy. I hope that next year I'll come back as a better player, and I'll hold Daphne (the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup) one more time.”