“If I would have your support at the US Open, I would win” – Aryna Sabalenka seemingly mocks New York crowd; thanks Aussie fans for love in Brisbane

Aryna Sabalenka took an apparent dig at the US Open crowd with her latest comments at the Brisbane International event in Australia.

Sabalenka downed Italy's Lucia Bronzetti on Wednesday, January 3, in straight sets to start her new season on a high. She took the opening set 6-3 by scoring four aces and breaking her opponent's serve in the sixth game.

The top seed closed out the encounter by dishing out a bagel in the second set as she converted three out of four break points against Bronzetti. In the pre-quarterfinals, she will play the winner of the tie between Danielle Collins and Zhu Lin.

In the on-court interview following her win over the Italian, the Belarusian thanked the Aussie fans for cheering her on from the stands. At the same time, she targeted the New York spectators who backed her opponent Coco Gauff at the US Open final in September 2023.

"I’m super happy to be back in Brisbane, Australia. I really missed you so much in all the Slams. Guys, if I would have your support at the US Open, probably I would win that one. Can you come at the US Open next year?," she said.

The 25-year-old further vowed to keep up her intensity in each round at the WTA 500 event in Brisbane.

"But yeah, I’m super happy with the performance and I think played a really good match. I just hope that I can keep the same level in each match," Sabalenka added.

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This is not the first time Aryna Sabalenka has openly called out the lack of support for her at the New York Major. She voiced a similar opinion in her runner-up speech after losing to Gauff at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

"You guys could’ve supported like this during the match," Sabalenka said in a reaction to the crowd's applause as she tried to contain her tears.

Aryna Sabalenka hasn't lost to Zhu Lin and Danielle Collins yet

Aryna Sabalenka has yet lost a single match to her potential opponents, Zhu Lin and Danielle Collins, in her next encounter at Brisbane International 2024. She has defeated Lin thrice and Collins four times.

The 25-year-old met Lin for the first time in 2017 at the Tianjin Open and registered a 6-3, 6-4 victory comfortably. She next faced the Chinese in qualifiers at Dubai International Championships 2018 and emerged victorious. Her latest victory over Lin came at Internationaux de Strasbourg in 2019.

Aryna Sabalenka squared off against Collins in the US Open in 2018 for the first time and defeated her 6-0, 4-6, 6-4. They next met at the Wuhan Open and locked horns at New York Major two more times with the Belarusian beating her opponent every time.

About the author

Ayush is a passionate and driven tennis journalist who wrote for Sportskeeda from July 2023 to March 2025. Before joining Sportskeeda, he worked as a sub-editor at The Tribune. Armed with a Master's degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, he seamlessly blends the art of multitasking into his routine.

With over 1,300 articles penned for Sportskeeda, his work has garnered over 9 million reads in a short span. He covered the 2025 Australian Open and Adelaide International from the ground. He prioritizes accuracy and rigorous fact-checking, and keeps abreast of tennis news through social media while also ensuring he steers clear of unconfirmed speculation and rumors.

A lifelong Novak Djokovic fan, Ayush admires how the Serb doesn't always conform to the "idealistic" image expected of tennis stars. To him, Djokovic's versatility across all surfaces cements his status as the undisputed GOAT. Since his pre-teen days, he has loved Wimbledon, and the tournament never fails to "bring out the kid inside him".

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Edited by Siddharth Dhananjay