Sabalenka 'furious' over Anisimova's disrespectful celebration in Wimbledon semi-final

On the evening of July 10, world number 1 tennis player Aryna Sabalenka was angry and declared herself "crazy" towards Amanda Anisimova in the Wimbledon semi-final because of the way her opponent celebrated two important points.

Sabalenka said the American tennis player's celebration was disrespectful - Photo: REUTERS

Sabalenka was furious in the press conference when she accused American Anisimova of celebrating a winning shot in the second set before the ball had even crossed her opponent's court.

She then refused to apologize after winning a decisive point in the third set, when the ball hit the edge of the net and fell out of reach of world number 1 Sabalenka.

Specifically, Anisimova had a point to lead 5-2 in the deciding set when her forehand down the line hit the edge of the net, leaving Sabalenka unable to return the ball.

Traditionally, tennis players raise their hands in apology in this situation. But Anisimova raised her arms in celebration.

Sabalenka looked annoyed, turned to her training area before looking straight at Anisimova and asking her why she didn't apologize?

"I just looked at her and made sure she didn't hear me, I was like: Don't you want to say sorry?" Sabalenka shared after the defeat.

"I guess, Anisimova just wanted to win this match. That's Anisimova's business. Even if Anisimova was just lucky to get that point and didn't feel the need to apologize for the awkward situation, that's her business."

The moment Sabalenka got angry when Anisimova didn't apologize when the ball hit the edge of the net - Video : Social Network X

What particularly annoyed Sabalenka was that Anisimova celebrated her winning backhand even before the ball had passed her.

"I was trying to chase the ball. And yeah, she celebrated!" Sabalenka said. "I mean, she celebrated a little too early. And then she drove me crazy by saying that's what she does all the time.

I'm so grateful that she said that, because it really helped me keep fighting. I thought, okay, now I'm going to show you the level of tennis. So I came back, because I was really angry at that moment. Maybe in the third set I should remember that and it might help!"

Although the two exchanged a hug at the end of the match as Anisimova won the match 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. However, the tension showed no signs of cooling down.

The hug was not enough to ease the tension between the two players - Photo: REUTERS

Despite losing the match, Sabalenka still left a strong impression on fans when she rushed to help a fan who fainted due to the heat on the field.

The match was delayed for more than five minutes early in the first set after a woman fainted in the 30-degree heat. A distraught Sabalenka arrived with a bottle of water and an ice pack, handing them to a spectator in the front row.

The injured fan was shielded by a Wimbledon umbrella and fanned by another nearby fan before two staff members helped her out of her seat and off the court. The match was also stopped shortly afterwards, with Anisimova leading 5-4, as another fan suffered heatstroke and needed an umbrella before play quickly resumed.

Reacting to Sabalenka's noble act, one fan on X commented: "Classy". Another commented: "Kindness is appreciated here".

Another wrote: "A lot of fans at Wimbledon are sitting in the stands with no shade. And many are not even wearing hats/sun caps. The humidity is also much higher in Centre Court. Remember to drink plenty of water and wear sunscreen. Nice gesture from Sabalenka."

TUAN LONG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/sabalenka-noi-dien-vi-hanh-vi-an-mung-thieu-ton-trong-cua-anisimova-o-ban-ket-wimbledon-20250711075157055.htm