Aryna Sabalenka comes under fire from fans after controversial Andrey Rublev comments days after Madrid Open win

Aryna Sabalenka was asked if she had played against someone who hit the tennis ball harder than her. In her response, the newly-crowned Madrid Open champion named ATP star Andrey Rublev, but didn't mention any of her WTA colleagues and rivals. This prompted several tennis fans to criticize the Belarusian over her take.

At a recent press conference, Sabalenka revisited a practice session with Rublev and said:

"I mean (thinking)…maybe when I was practicing with the guys. I practiced with Rublev, it was really intense. I was like, okay, whatever I'm done. I was done in five minutes."

Fans on X slammed Aryna Sabalenka because her answer didn't include a single name from the WTA Tour.

"She is once again saying thank you for your patience with women's tennis guys. I know men's tennis is so much better," a fan wrote, referring to a controversial past remark made by Sabalenka.

"She skipped the whole of WTA 💀," commented another.

Quite a few fans brought up the names of Serena Williams, Madison Keys and Jelena Ostapenko, stating that they hit the ball just as hard as Sabalenka, if not harder. Some also suggested that the Belarusian's loud grunts tend to make her shots feel more powerful than they are.

"You played against Serena Williams, for God's sake! As well as Madison Keys. Put some respect on their name!!" demanded one fan.

"Madison Keys at the AO final? Remember Sabalenka your words ‘next time I play you I’ll bring a barricade’ maybe a bit of amnesia bit ok," another added.

"Ostapenko does and did in Stuttgart. Madison Keys does too. That’s probably it tho," another fan chimed in, remembering Sabalenka's losses to the Latvian and the American in the finals of this year's Porsche Tennis Grand Prix and Australian Open respectively.

"Penko Keys Anisimova Samsonova Kvitova they just dont scream with it which makes up for much bigger impression," weighed in yet another fan.

Interestingly, at the 2024 US Open, one of Sabalenka's forehand statistics was remarkably more than some of the biggest names in the men's game. The Belarusian even went on to speak about her disbelief after she saw the statistic with her own eyes.

"It felt kind of uncomfortable being at the top and even hitting harder than guys" - Aryna Sabalenka on astonishing forehand statistic at US Open 2024

Aryna Sabalenka in action at the 2024 US Open (Source: Getty)

Statistics ahead of the 2024 US Open semifinals revealed a surprising fact: Aryna Sabalenka's average forehand speed, which stood at 129 kph, was more than the average forehand speeds of ATP stars Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic at the tournament. The Belarusian was asked about this following her fourth-round win at the prestigious hardcourt Major in New York.

In response, Sabalenka stated that she couldn't believe her eyes when she first saw the statistic. She also claimed that it made her feel somewhat awkward.

"I saw my stats on my forehand and I actually can’t believe it’s that fast. It felt kind of uncomfortable being at the top and even hitting harder than guys. That’s a really interesting stat," Sabalenka said.

Aryna Sabalenka would go on to win the 2024 US Open women's singles title, marking her third title triumph on the Grand Slam stage. She also had the opportunity to win her fourth Major title at this year's Australian Open, but she was outplayed by fellow big-hitter Madison Keys in the final in Melbourne.

More recently, Aryna Sabalenka won her third Madrid Open title after defeating Coco Gauff in straight sets in the final. The Belarusian is set to feature in competitive action next at the 2025 Italian Open. She finished as the runner-up at last year's edition of the WTA 1000 claycourt event, but is the firm favorite for the title this time around.