"I hit him with a lot of love" - Aryna Sabalenka jokes after fun-filled session of hitting Canadian Open mascot with tennis balls

World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka had a funny exchange with the event’s social media handle after trying to hit the Canadian Open mascot with tennis balls on the court after her clash against Petra Martic.

Sabalanka advanced into the last 16 after she outfoxed Petra Martic 6-3, 7-6(5) in the second round of the 2023 Canadian Open on Wednesday night at Stade IGA in Montreal.

But before she left the court, she was asked to do something that sparked a hilarious conversation on Twitter. The organizers of the event asked Aryan Sabalenka to hit the tournament’s mascot while the latter tried its best to avoid getting hit.

The mascot seemed to be enjoying the drill as well, doing its best to dodge Sabalenka’s powerful shots. Posting a video of the same, the official handle for the event hilariously posed a question to the Belarusian.

Aryna Sabalenka, showing her own sense of humor, reacted to the tweet posted by the “Omnium Banque Nationale” account, saying she was asked to do so and that she was hitting the mascot “with a lot of love”.

“They want me to hit this beautiful and friendly mascot,sorry, I hit him with a lot of love," Sabalenka wrote.

The Belarusian will now lock horns with Russia’s Liudmila Samsonova in the next round.

---

Aryna Sabalenka gets inspired by Caroline Wozniacki’s return after 3 years

Aryna Sabalenka in action.

A lot of players celebrated Caroline Wozniacki's return to the WTA tour after more than two years due to the circumstances surrounding her comeback. Aryna Sabalenka too expressed her thoughts on the Dane’s return ahead of the Rogers Cup in Montreal.

The Belarusian said that she was ‘surprised and super happy’ to know that one can start a family and have a private life as well as a tennis career. She also said that examples of people like Wozniacki making a comeback are ‘really inspiring’.

"I was surprised & super happy. I felt like 'Ok, you can have a private life, have kids, & come back.' It's important for all of us. We sacrifice a lot. To have examples of people who come back & show there's a way, it's really inspiring," Sabalenka told reporters.

Caroline Wozniacki made a great start to her comeback at Rogers Cup, beating Kimberly Birrell in the first round. However, she lost in the second round to Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova.

The Dane will next compete at the Cincinnati Masters before the 2023 US Open.