"WTA are these the values you are promoting?";"Aryna Sabalenka's not doing anything wrong" - Fans divided over Belarusian endorsing alcohol brand

Aryna Sabalenka recently rang in her 27th birthday by partnering with her preferred tequila brand in a promotional campaign. However, the Belarusian's decision to endorse an alcohol brand has sparked a heated debate among tennis fans.

Amid her birthday celebrations on May 5, Sabalenka playfully dubbed the occasion "Cinco de Saby" and referred to a bottle of Dobel Tequila as her "favorite" present. The World No. 1 also sent out packages containing the drink and promoted her signature cocktail, the 'Marg-Aryna.' Tommy Paul's girlfriend Paige Lorenze was one of the recipients and she showed off the contents on social media.

"Celebrating the best day of the year, Cinco de Saby with my favorite birthday present @dobeltequila🍹," Sabalenka captioned the Instagram post.

However, Aryna Sabalenka's collaboration stirred controversy when a fan on X criticized her for promoting alcohol and also called out the WTA over the "values" being endorsed by the leader in the rankings.

"Cool leader @WTA. are these the values you are promoting now? Congratulations Aryna Sabalenka. What an amazing role model for young athletes you are. Have fun with your vodka," the fan posted.

The user continued to assert that it was wrong for Aryna Sabalenka to promote drinking as a "cool activity," with other fans chiming in to express similar sentiments.

"No excuse in normalizing drinking as something cool," the fan wrote.

"Doesn't mean her followers will be fine. Djokovic and many other athletes do not promote alcohol," another fan posted.

"In pl commercials and general promotion of high percent alcohol is strictly forbidden, always funny to see it being completely normal in other countries," said another.

However, other fans jumped to Sabalenka's defense, pointing out she was hardly the first player to promote alcohol, given that Roger Federer was the ambassador for Moët and many alcohol brands sponsored tournaments.

"Roger Federer was sponsored by Moet and was a brand ambassador for them. Alcohol companies sponsor a lot of tournaments and players parties. She’s not doing anything wrong, most top atheletes from all sports have had an alcohol deal," one fan commented.

"Yes, because if they don't see this picture they cannot drink. They haven't heard of alcohol until this picture. Seriously? 🤕," another fan chimed in.

"The beer Peroni Nastro Azzurro lager is an official sponsor of the Australian Open... Federer was sponsored by Moet...Why single out Aryna?," a fan argued.

"Lol pls Aryna can do whatever she wants on her birthday. Also, is this a good example for young athletes, or are you just a hypocrite?" said yet another.

Following her birthday celebrations, Aryna Sabalenka will turn her focus to her campaign at the Italian Open. Fresh off her victory at the Madrid Open, the World No. 1 will look to continue her strong run of form at the WTA 1000 event in Rome.

Aryna Sabalenka gears up for her opening match at the Italian Open

Iga Swiatek defeated Aryna Sabalenka in the 2024 Italian Open final - Source: Getty

Aryna Sabalenka has entered the 2025 Italian Open as the top seed, receiving a bye in the first round. She will face the winner of the match between Anastasia Potapova and Dayana Yastremska in her opening match.

The Belarusian could then take on Sofia Kenin in the third round, followed by a potential meeting with Daria Kasatkina or Leylah Fernandez in the fourth round. If Sabalenka progresses, she will likely come up against Elena Rybakina or Zheng Qinwen in the quarterfinals.

The World No. 1's potential semifinal opponents include Coco Gauff, Mirra Andreeva and Emma Navarro. If she makes it to the final, Aryna Sabalenka could lock horns with defending champion Iga Swiatek in a blockbuster rematch of last year's title clash.