Maria Sharapova has called out The Wall Street Journal for what she sees as a reductive portrayal of world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in its recent Wimbledon coverage.
The former champion took to Instagram to challenge an article and accompanying social media post that emphasized Sabalenka’s need to practice with men due to her powerful game. The post featured a smiling Sabalenka with the caption, “The world No. 1 who hits so hard she practices against men,” prompting Sharapova to respond bluntly: “What is this headline and what is this article. You can do better @WSJ.”
The WSJ article highlighted Sabalenka’s recent practice sessions with ATP stars like Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner, describing the interactions as necessary to accommodate her forceful groundstrokes. However, Sharapova—and much of the tennis community—pointed out that training with male hitting partners is standard practice among top WTA players. Sabalenka’s coach Anton Dubrov himself started as a hitting partner, and players like Serena Williams, Venus Williams, and Sharapova have done the same for years.
Sabalenka, who has advanced to her third Wimbledon semifinal, emphasized the strategic and mental benefits of her practice sessions with Djokovic, noting conversations about energy management, mindset, and technical improvements. “You’re learning,” she explained. “I think it really helped my tennis.” She even joked about copying Djokovic’s return, saying, “It’s working! I’m copying the best.”
So far, the approach is paying off. Sabalenka defeated Laura Siegemund in the quarterfinals with a scoreline of 4-6, 6-2, 6-4, and is now set to face Amanda Anisimova for a place in her first Wimbledon final.
