ESPN drew criticism from fans for a graphic celebrating Elena Rybakina's victory in the women's singles final at the US Open. The network posted an image captioned: "Elena Rybakina wins her third career Major title, her first at the US Open," following her three-set win over Aryna Sabalenka.
Fans focused their attention on the graphic's composition, specifically the placement of a tennis ball. The ball, part of an image of Rybakina hitting a forehand, appeared to overlay her celebratory fist pump at nipple height on her chest. This detail prompted numerous online comments questioning the design choice.
"Why would they put the tennis ball there," one widely liked post read. Another user inquired, "Could they not move the tennis ball…" while a third commented, "Nice placement of the tennis ball. I see what you did there espn."
Rybakina, the World No. 1, secured her maiden US Open title with a decisive performance against the reigning champion Sabalenka. The Kazakhstani player utilized her powerful serve and groundstrokes to overcome Sabalenka in the final at Flushing Meadows. This victory marks her third Grand Slam title.
Following the match, Rybakina expressed her emotions, stating, "It feels amazing. It's still so difficult to process what happened. Too much achievements these few weeks. I'm super happy, very proud of all the work. Yeah, it's just amazing. Difficult to find words, but super happy."
She reflected on the match's intensity, noting, "I feel like the match was so close. Even first set I got early break. Then it was kind of a little bit easier to step in, to be aggressive. Then in the second we were going both, like, each game. We were taking our serve. I feel like she just played in these same important moments more aggressive. Yeah, she just went for the shots. I had some little opportunities. Made couple of mistakes. But then in the third set, I told myself that I can still do it. I need to focus on my serve and just risk a little bit more when I have the chance."