No relief for Aryna Sabalenka as controversial remark continues to draw flak after wildly shadowing Iga Sviatek

I have not forgotten the recent feud between Arina Sabalenka and Iga Sviatek. When the Australian Open champion revealed her choice to enjoy ATP matches over WTA matches, it may have offended the world No 1, who responded with a massive Madrid Open win. Although discussions were still not closed on this topic, a famous American athlete came forward to intensify the controversy.

On May 9, Ted Robinson’s legendary voice returned Tennis Channel Inside-In Podcast To break up a thrilling Madrid Open. Robinson dived deep in an epic women’s final where Iga Sviatek defeated Aryna Sabalenka by nail-biter. Moreover, he also analyzed Sviatek’s reign as the undisputed queen of the WTA. However, the remarks surrounding women’s tennis once again irritated Saba.

The fragmentation of tennis allows individual tournaments and organizations to compete against each other for players, sponsors and broadcasters. A united front, Robinson hinted, could present a stronger negotiating position for revenue sharing, broadcast deals and player compensation. “If there’s ever going to be a sense for the tennis forces, all of them, to come together and pursue what’s being discussed in these proposals that we’re reading about and hearing about to unify tennis, this is the time to do it.” said Robinson in tennis as a whole, including the ATP and WTA.

American athlete Robinson added more weight to the incident and emphasized that women’s tennis is very fun to watch with players like Iga. “The women’s tour right now, women’s tennis is so much fun to watch. The best are out there and you know we see it. “ he said, adding more meaning to Sviatek’s comment. However, he also created a stir in the minds of his fans by saying: “We shall see him in Rome; We will see him again at Roland Garros.”

For context. Arina, ahead of the Madrid Open, appeared in an interview with the press and expressed her views on the possibility of a “big three” with Sviatek and Elena Rybakina. Sabalenka jokingly played down his recent performance, suggesting it might be more of a “big two” now. Interestingly, she revealed that she does not watch women’s matches, but instead watches men’s tennis. “I’m not someone who watches a lot of tennis. I’d rather watch men’s tennis than women’s. I feel it makes more sense and is more interesting to watch.”

Bringing the debate to a stunning conclusion, Sviatek handed him a heartbreaking tie-break defeat in Madrid. During the post-match interview, Sviatek did not hold back and said: “Now who says women’s tennis is boring, right?” Immediately after the remarks, The Madrid crowd started cheering loudly and agreed with him. Although Sviatek did not name names, it was believed that his joke was directed at Sabalenka. Although he found himself surrounded by controversy, Saba quickly walked back his previous comments.

Arina Sabalenka retracts her comment

After her controversial comments about mostly watching men’s tennis, Aryna Sabalenka faced renewed questions after her first win at the Mutua Madrid Open 2024. This time, the Belarusian star offered a clarification regarding his previous statements.

“I didn’t mean to disparage women’s tennis, it’s just more fun to watch the men play because I spend a lot of time studying my opponents, so I don’t want to watch the girls I’m playing in my free time. against again” Sabalenka said, explaining how her comment was not meant to disrespect the WTA’s popularity or any aspect of it.

As the debate about gender equality in tennis continues, the Madrid Open final will remind fans that the nature of women’s tennis is just as exciting as the men’s. While Sabalenka’s statement was just an honest revelation, the responses from Iga Sviatek and Ted Robinson helped many evaluate women’s tennis.