Aryna Sabalenka has sarcastically thanked critics for their advice after facing comments that she cares more about TikTok than tennis. The World No. 1 shared updates from her holiday in Mykonos, Greece, following her exit from Wimbledon.
Sabalenka's Wimbledon campaign concluded with a last-16 defeat to Naomi Osaka, losing 6-2, 7-6 on Centre Court. This marked her earliest Grand Slam exit since the 2022 French Open and her first straight-sets loss at a major in 122 matches. The defeat extended her wait for a singles title at Wimbledon.
Following the loss, Sabalenka told reporters, "I f***ed it up this year. Next year I'll try to do better." She added that her plan was to "get completely drunk, forget about tennis, and try to get in better shape."
The 28-year-old has since vacationed with her fiancé, Georgios Frangulis, and friends. She posted a TikTok video from poolside, addressing the criticism she has received. "Waking up to comments that say I care more about tiktok than tennis, that I don’t deserve to be world number one and that I need to fix my attitude," Sabalenka wrote, adding as a caption: "Thank you guys for the advice!"
Further social media updates included a video of Sabalenka having a shot and dancing in a pool with a friend, as well as pouring a drink into her friend's mouth. She captioned one clip "My version of therapy" with a laughing emoji and another post stated "Taking a minute to myself."
Despite maintaining her World No. 1 ranking, Sabalenka has faced Grand Slam disappointments this season. She reached the Australian Open final in January but lost to Elena Rybakina. Her French Open bid ended in the quarterfinals with a loss to Diana Shnaider. Sabalenka had previously stated that the French Open defeat made her want to "quit tennis."
Sabalenka, who won the Indian Wells and Miami tournaments earlier this year, will shift her focus to the hard court season after her break. She is scheduled to defend her US Open title in September, having won the tournament in both 2024 and 2025.