Coco Gauff asked if Aryna Sabalenka’s loud grunting led to her Australian Open exit
Summer rain in Melbourne saw the roof on the Rod Laver Arena closed for a rematch of the US Open final. And the noise made by the Belarusian when she struck the ball sounded even louder as she won 7-6 6-4
Sabalenka was mocked by the home crowd for her grunting on her 2018 debut here and she has not got any quieter since. Asked if Sabalenka had been a distraction, the American teenager said: “No. I mean, I played her a lot, so I can’t sit here and say that the grunt is distracting. I don’t even know, it’s like the fifth time we have played.
“No, I don’t think so. I don’t notice, you know, when – I feel like at least with her it’s consistent, so it doesn’t bother me. I mean, I’ve played a player in the past where the grunt wasn’t consistent where they would grunt longer on purpose on 30-All or deuce point. If it’s consistent, I can’t really say anything about it.
“I don’t think you’re supposed to grunt while the person is hitting. Like I said, I didn’t notice it. When you playing her, you know that’s what she’s going to do. I don’t think it’s a tactic or anything. I think that’s just how she plays tennis.
“It didn’t bother me. I mean, I don’t get how it can bother someone. But yeah, it doesn’t bother me because it’s consistent. If she did it extended on certain balls, then I would be like: ‘Okay, it’s ridiculous’. No, I think that’s just her. It’s fine. There has been other grunters in the past. It doesn’t bother me.”
Gauff had extended her Grand Slam winning streak to 12 matches by reaching her first semi-final here in her last Major as a teenager. “I tend to be hard on myself, so I feel like today I was, like: ‘Dang’, but I think looking back of, like, overall this stage of my life, it was obviously a successful time.
“I saw a stat that I think I’m up there with Serena (Williams) and (Jennifer) Capriati with the wins at Slams. I just feel like I look at the glass half empty, so I’m negative.
“Then I looked at that stat and I’m like they had great careers. So I’m like I’m in the right direction. I just have to remind myself of the journey and not so much of the moment. I am really proud of myself.
“I did want to win a Slam as a teenager, and I did that. Obviously today I was hoping to get No. 2, or at least give myself a chance to get No. 2. It didn’t happen, but I feel like I’m there, yeah. So hopefully I can go only upwards from here.”
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