Former Player Calls Out Sabalenka's 'Unbearable' Grunt: 'Can't Stand It'
NewsSunday, 29 June 2025 at 14:42
Aryna Sabalenka was called out by a former WTA player because of her loud grunt, which has generated plenty of attention lately.
Sabalenka is currently the best player on the WTA Tour, but she is also probably the loudest player. The Belarusian hits the ball very hard, sometimes even harder than men on the ATP Tour, and her opponents are made aware of that, as she often grunts really loudly.
A decade ago, Maria Sharapova was known for her loud grunt, and it seems that Sabalenka took her spot in this generation of players. But the Belarusian didn't match her famous Russian colleague only when it comes to grunting, but she has also managed to follow in some of her achievements on the tennis courts.
Still, Sabalenka's grunt has been under the spotlight recently, with Novak Djokovic calling it out during their practice at Wimbledon. According to the 24-time Grand Slam champion, Sabalenka's grunt would be considered a "hindrance" on the ATP Tour.
Former WTA World No. 47, Katarzyna Nowak, would likely agree with Djokovic's opinion. She recently spoke to the Polish publication Przegląd Sportowy, as per Sportowe Fakty, discussing the Belarusian player.
Nowak explained that she doesn't like Sabalenka's tennis, especially because of her grunt, but gave the World No. 1 player credit for how she can fight in her matches even if she doesn't play her best.
"I don't like her tennis. I can't stand that grunting, it's unbearable to listen to, but you have to give the Belarusian one thing - she is an incredibly brave player. She never gives up, even when she's not going. She tries, searches, tries to get to the last game."
As a former Polish player, Nowak obviously spoke about Poland's most successful tennis player, Iga Swiatek, as well. According to the 56-year-old, Swiatek's early loss at Roland Garros could help her at Wimbledon, and she already showed massive signs of improvement on grass in Bad Homburg, where she reached the final.
"In previous years, Iga had victorious tournaments in Paris, effort until the end, obligations as the winner. This took up time, which was later lacking during regeneration and rest before the start in London. Now there is more of it, preparations can be done differently."
Sabalenka and Swiatek will both be among the favorites to win the upcoming Wimbledon Championships. Sabalenka is the top seed, and she will start against a 24-year-old qualifier from Canada, Carson Branstine. Swiatek, on the other hand, will take on Polina Kudermetova.
Prior to the tournament, Sabalenka also spoke about her previous comments about Coco Gauff, apologizing for sounding disrespectful after losing in the Roland Garros final.
With the increased attention that she receives since becoming the World No. 1, Sabalenka couldn't avoid some controversies, but it's clear that she now knows how to manage these waters much better.
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