The world’s top women’s tennis player lost her cool — and nearly hurt a ballboy in her fit of rage.
While blowing her semifinal match to Jessica Pegula on Saturday at the Wuhan Open, Aryna Sabalenka threw her racket down onto the court after hitting a backhand out of bounds, and it narrowly missed bouncing into a ballboy standing next to the umpire’s chair.
“That is dangerous territory for Sabalenka, this semifinal has exploded into life in the last 10 to 15 minutes,” a member of the Sky Sports broadcast said, according to The Sun.
“Sabalenka gets a warning for the racket abuse, but she is lucky it is not more.”
The incident happened during the 11th game of the third set, which was tied 5-5 after Sabalenka lost three straight games. Sabalenka dropped that 11th game and went on to lose the match in a tiebreak, 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-2).
Pegula lost to fellow American Coco Gauff in Sunday’s final, 6-4, 7-5.
Sabalenka, 27, got a scare in the second round from 68th ranked Rebecca Sramkova, who took the opening set 6-4 before Sabalenka stormed back to take the next two sets 6-3, 6-1.
The world No. 1 then cruised to straight-set wins against No. 20 Liudmila Samsonova and No. 9 Elena Rybakina before falling to Pegula.
Sabalenka is coming off her second straight U.S. Open title last month at Flushing Meadows.
Her fourth Grand Slam title came at the end of a year in which she lost in the finals at the Australian and French Opens and fell in the semifinals at Wimbledon.