Aryna Sabalenka has made clear that she will not tolerate disrespectful fan behaviour after she apologised for her own actions towards a fan during the Miami Open final.
The world No.1 recorded a 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 win over Coco Gauff to win the Miami Open title on Sunday, with the pair battling in front of a sold-out crowd at Hard Rock Stadium.
Sabalenka maintained control for most of the match, however, did find herself caught in an ugly short exchange with a vocal fan in the stands.
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Gauff and Sabalenka endured a strong rally midway through the third set when the latter hit the ball long but it narrowly avoided going over the baseline. Gauff returned the strike to continue on the rally before eventually hitting the ball wide over the sideline.
A member of the crowd was heard yelling “out” after Sabalenka’s long shot hit the surface and then again calling “out” when Gauff’s shot went over the sideline.
Aryna Sabalenka during the Miami Open final. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Sabalenka had a dirty look on her face after hearing the words yelled from the stands, immediately yelling “shut up” in the direction of the fan.
Australian chair umpire Tom Sweeny then made clear to all in the venue that there was no need for their assistance in officiating the match as “we have computers to do that”. He then informed Sabalenka she had been given a warning for “audible obscenity”.
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Sabalenka laughed off the warning from Sweeney and continued on the match in style, eventually claiming victory to become the fifth women to complete the Sunshine Double – an achievement for athletes who win the Miami Open and Indian Wells back to back.
But when it came time to deliver a speech about her victory, Sabalenka issued a message to the fan that felt the need to be an additional umpire during her match.
“I don’t know where you are, that lady that hoped for the ‘out.’ I shouldn’t have been that rude,” she said.
“But come on, you cannot do that. Let’s agree that we both were wrong, so sorry.”
Aryna Sabalenka speaks to a fan in the stands. Twitter
She then turned to the rest of the crowd: “Thank you guys for an incredible atmosphere.
“You always bring incredible vibes and a full stadium for our final, thank you so much.”
The Miami Open will conclude with the men’s final between Jannik Sinner and Jiri Lehecka on Monday morning AEDT.