US Open Under Fire After Releasing Footage Of Sabalenka's 'Private Moment'

| by Erik Virostko

Aryna Sabalenka let out all the steam after her 2023 US Open final loss, but it wasn't on the Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Playing professional sports isn't easy, and while the physical toll on the body may be the most difficult part, many often underestimate the emotional pressure that players often feel, and while tennis offers a great chance to relieve those emotions, some prefer not to do it on the tennis court.

That was the case for Sabalenka's outburst at the 2023 US Open, as she didn't destroy her racquet on the tennis court after losing to 19-year-old Coco Gauff, instead, she was gracious in defeat, and never showed any negative emotion, instead, she fought tears with laugh during the trophy ceremony.

But once the Belarusian came to the locker room, a place where she expected no one would see her, she released all of the emotions, taking out one of her racquets and destroying it somewhere where she probably thought no one would see her.

However, one of the cameras recorded the moment, and that was later posted by Eurosport France. Immediately after the footage was posted, tennis fans defended the Belarusian, claiming that the footage 'shouldn't have been released'.

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One of the people who didn't like the fact that the footage was released was entrepreneur Joe Pompliano, who stated that it was Sabalenka's private moment that was recorded, but he still praised her for letting out the frustration in the locker room.

"I don't love that they recorded what Sabalenka probably believed was a private moment. But I do love the emotion. She handled herself with class on the court & then let frustration out when she returned to the locker room. Sports are hard and she cares."

Judy Murray shared Pompliano's opinion, saying that Sabalenka's private moment 'should never have been made public'.

"This footage should never have been made public. A private moment in an empty training room after the disappointment of losing a Grand Slam final."

However, the credibility of Sabalenka's outrage has since been questioned, as another angle shows that the Belarusian has been filmed by what appears to be a Netflix crew all the time, leaving many speculating whether the outburst was genuine.

WATCH: Sabalenka Destroys Racquet Behind the Scenes After Disappointing US Open Loss
WATCH: Sabalenka Destroys Racquet Behind the Scenes After Disappointing US Open Loss

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