Aryna Sabalenka, the world No. 2 and a two-time Grand Slam champion, has admitted that she prefers to watch men’s tennis over her female rivals. The Belarusian star, who is set to compete in the Madrid Open, made the candid admission ahead of her opening match at the tournament.
“I don’t watch their matches (her rivals)”, Sabalenka said in a press conference. “I feel like I’ve played against them enough and that, if I face one of them again, my coach is going to show me images of their matches to analyse and prepare me.”
The 25-year-old added that she only watches women’s tennis when her team members insist. “I don’t find it very interesting. Men’s tennis is more interesting,” she said.
Sabalenka’s comments have sparked debate, with some people criticizing her for her lack of interest in her fellow female players. Others have defended her, saying that she is simply being honest about her preferences.
Regardless of her views on women’s tennis, Sabalenka is a talented player who has achieved a lot in her career. She is a two-time Grand Slam champion and has been ranked as high as No.2 in the world. She is also one of the most exciting young players in the women’s game.
She added: “I’m not someone who watches too much tennis, I prefer to watch men’s tennis rather than women’s tennis, I feel like there is more strategy and it’s more interesting to watch.”
While laughing, Sabalenka made the controversial statement that she finds men’s tennis more strategic and interesting than women’s tennis, despite her high profile in the sport.
Her victory at this year’s Australian Open marked her second consecutive title win there, achieved impressively without dropping a set. This success builds on her remarkable 2023 season, where she emulated Serena Williams’ 2016 feat by reaching at least the semi-finals in all four Grand Slam tournaments. After her initial triumph in Melbourne, she continued with strong performances, making it to the semi-finals in France and Wimbledon, and then to the US Open final.
In the US Open final, Sabalenka was defeated in a three-set match by American Coco Gauff, which resulted in her losing the top spot in the world rankings to Poland’s Iga Swiatek.
