Top Women’s Tennis Player Throws Racket During Semifinal Match Against Pegula in China
Published Oct 14, 2025 • Last updated 21 minutes ago • 2-minute read
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Belarus’s Aryna Sabalenka reacted after missing a point against Jessica Pegula during their semifinal match at the Wuhan Open in Wuhan, China, on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025. Getty Images
Aryna Sabalenka received a warning following a dangerous incident at the Wuhan Open over the weekend.
During her semifinal match against American Jessica Pegula, Sabalenka hurled her racket at the net in frustration after committing an unforced error. The racket bounced off a nearby chair and narrowly missed hitting a ballboy.
As the racket came to rest near the net, the Belarusian star appeared to extend her hand toward the ballboy, seemingly to apologize.
“That is dangerous territory for Sabalenka; this semifinal has really heated up in the last 10 to 15 minutes,” a commentator on the Sky Sports broadcast noted. “Sabalenka receives a warning for racket abuse, but she is fortunate it isn’t more severe.”
Tennis fans on social media expressed their disbelief that Sabalenka faced only a warning for her actions. “She should have been defaulted!” one user posted on X. “It’s appalling that the @atptour @WTA is allowing @SabalenkaA to escape with no consequences after nearly injuring a ballboy!” another commented. A third user added, “This is just another example of Sabalenka’s disgraceful sportsmanship. She should have been disqualified immediately.”
The incident took place during the third set, which was tied at 5-5 after Sabalenka had lost three consecutive games. She ultimately lost the match in a tiebreak, with scores of 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7).
Sabalenka is currently the No. 1-ranked women’s tennis player in the world, having won this year’s U.