By: Girl Nathan
The most infamous racquet smash of the 2023 US Open happened off court. After Aryna Sabalenka lost her women’s singles final to Coco Gauff, 3–6, 6–3, 6–2, she walked into the locker room and plopped down her tennis bag. Atop the bag, she placed the runner-up plate she’d just been awarded at the trophy ceremony. Then she unzipped the bag, pulled out a racquet, calmly considered it, obliterated it with four strikes against the ground, and walked across the room to toss it into a garbage bin. It clanged against the metal.
Maybe I am bad, because one of my first reactions was marvel at the physical comedy on display in this clip, comic timing nearly as precise as her tennis timing. Other, more dignified people, like Andy Murray’s mom, argued that this was a moment of private catharsis that should have never been leaked to the public.