U.S. Open fines: Aryna Sabalenka’s $7.5K racket smash and a rare first-round rule violation
Outgoing world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka has been fined $7,500 for smashing her racket at the end of her U.S. Open final defeat to incoming world No. 1 Elena Rybakina. Sabalenka, the two-time defending champion, saw Rybakina end her title defense with a 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 win Saturday in New York. When it was over, the 28-year-old Belarusian smashed one of her rackets into the court while sitting on her…
Two-time defending champion and current world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka faced a $7,500 fine from the U.S. Open for the violent smashing of her racket in the final of the tournament. Sabalenka, 28, was defeated by incoming world No. 1 Elena Rybakina with a score of 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 at the U.S. Open in New York on Saturday. The Belarusian player admitted in her post-match press conference that she was struggling to control her emotions after losing in the Grand Slam final and trying to achieve a three-peat.
She stated that she needed to release the aggression and disappointment outside the court. The racket abuse violation is part of a series of 10 fines for such offenses during the 2026 tournament, as per the USTA statement. Other players fined for racket abuse included France's No. 10 seed Arthur Fils, Argentina's No. 24 seed Francisco Cerúndolo, and Frenchman Corentin Moutet, who each received a $10,000 fine.
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