Ten or 15 years ago, Sabalenka’s soundtrack would have caused a scandal, and led to a lot of hand-wringing in the tennis world. In those days, there was a good deal of discussion about how to rein in, or penalize, the premier shriekers of the day, Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka. I don’t know how much of a shock or an annoyance Sabalenka’s symphony of grunts is to fans who have never heard it before. But it has been a long time since I’ve heard or read anyone complain about it.
When you’re the world No. 1, you set the trends, make the rules, create the norms. Besides being the best women’s player of the moment, the 6-foot Sabalenka has the physical presence and charisma of a star. You always know what she’s feeling, which makes her a perfect contrast with Iga Swiatek, her primary rival. Swiatek obscures her face with a baseball cap and walks as quickly as possible, with her head down, from one point to the next.
At the same time, Sabalenka is too self-deprecating to be a diva. A regular Tik-Tok dancer, she was asked to show off a few moves after her win on Sunday. She obliged, like a good sport, then said of the crowd, “Now they have the proof that I’m a terrible dancer.”
