Aryna Sabalenka comments on Indian Wells crowd after fan interruption at match point

Aryna Sabalenka used to be known for struggling to control her emotions on court, but over time she has become a much calmer presence and a far more consistent player.

While she is not immune to lapses in judgment, Sabalenka is now one of the most composed and reliable players on the WTA Tour.

It takes quite a bit to knock her off her stride, but when it does happen, the effects can be significant.

This time around at Indian Wells, the Belarusian star was not directly involved in the incident that caught attention, though she still found herself fielding questions about it during her media duties.

Aryna Sabalenka responds after fan yells during match point

After defeating Jaqueline Cristian, Sabalenka was asked in her post-match press conference about a fan interrupting another match on match point.

There was a shout from the crowd that led to the point being paused, and the world number one was asked whether she finds it easy to tune out distractions from the stands.

She said: “Most of the time, yes, but I mean, of course sometimes they can be really annoying, and I can hear them. But I can really recognize well if it’s my opponent or if it was from the crowd.

“Never happened to me, actually. I don’t know. I feel like in this case they should have just replayed the point because it was, I don’t know, the player got distracted by someone. I don’t know. That’s tricky.”

When asked how these moments can affect players during a match, she explained: “It depends. If it’s like you’re about to make your shot and someone yelled super loud something, then yeah, you can get distracted, just like shocked by the noise, and then of course you can miss your shot.

“I feel like it’s on the referee to make sure that crowd doesn’t do that, or if they continue doing that, make sure that the person is not in the crowd anymore, because, yeah, it’s tricky in tennis.”

Aryna Sabalenka shares thoughts ahead of Naomi Osaka match

Sabalenka’s strong start in Indian Wells has not been derailed by the recent noise, and she is now preparing for what will likely be her toughest match yet.

Naomi Osaka is next up, setting the stage for a highly anticipated Round of 16 meeting. It will be their first match since Osaka won their 2018 US Open showdown.

The anticipation around this match is clear, with both players speaking about it beforehand. Sabalenka had already shared her thoughts during a press conference before the match-up was even confirmed.

“Well, it would be for sure a fashion show at the beginning. Then a crazy match. She’s a great player. Came back after pregnancy. Incredible shape. I have been watching her matches, really admire her,” she said.

“We played how many – I think we played only once, isn’t it?

“Oh, probably I’ll have a chance to get revenge, hopefully.”

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