Aryna Sabalenka hits out at ‘joke’ journalist after question over partying

Aryna Sabalenka was involved in a tense exchange with a reporter after it was suggested to the two-time defending champion that her activities around the US Open involved “parties and fun”.

Sabalenka had too much for Polina Iatcenko, strolling to a straight-sets win (6-1 6-1) on Wednesday.

But the Belarusian was left irritated by questions surrounding her off-court appearances and rejected that it jeopardised her preparation for the grand slam.

“You guys are, like, a joke. Parties, fun… like, why would ⁠you even say that? Why would ​you ⁠even think about that? What kind of question is that?” the world No 1 said.

“Just because I posted, like, some `activities with brands, and you think that I’ve been partying, not training?” she added, cutting the exchange short. Turning ‌to her performance on Wednesday, the four-times Grand Slam winner said she was pleased with both her level and her focus after another ‌dominant performance at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“I’ve been working really hard, but I feel like I’m kind of moving away from trying to be perfect on court,” Sabalenka said. “I know that you cannot be perfect, and `I’m just trying to work with what I have right now.”

Sabalenka will continue her search for a third straight title in New York and avoid ending the year without a major, as she tries to recover her best form after not winning a title since claiming the Miami Open in March.

“I think I struggled a little bit in the middle of the season. Once again, I’m not going to defend myself or explain why, what happened, but I’m happy with my level,” the 28-year-old said.

“I can definitely say that mentally I’m way stronger than ⁠I was in the middle of the season, and physically I also feel stronger. I ‌feel like I’m ​on my level of play, and ‌I just want to bring the ​right focus on the match every time.”

Reuters contributed to this report