Aryna Sabalenka is known worldwide for the volume and frequency of her on-court grunts, but that took on special significance in the early stages of her match against Elina Svitolina in the semifinals of the Australian Open 2026. The Belarusian extended a grunt longer than usual after hitting the ball, and the chair umpire stopped the point and awarded it to the Ukrainian, considering Sabalenka's grunt unjustifiably prolonged and potentially disturbing to her opponent.
"This is a strong call by the umpire!" 😳
— TNT Sports (@tntsports) January 29, 2026
Aryna Sabalenka is called for a hindrance by the umpire for a 'different style of grunt' 🔊 pic.twitter.com/26qBmgp130
This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Sabalenka pierde un punto al ser sancionada por gritar demasiado
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