Sabalenka traded her racket toss for a bikini dance with Paula Badosa and the internet noticed.
Aryna Sabalenka was not on a tennis court this weekend. Which, if you’re a ballboy, means you weren’t in any danger of being hit by a tennis racket thrown by the top-ranked woman in the sport.
The same could not be said the weekend prior to last. She lost her cool during a match she ended up losing at the Wuhan Open and fired her racket at the ground in the direction of her bench.
Aryna Sabalenka acknowledges the crowd after winning against Paula Badosa of Spain during the Women’s Singles Semi-final on day 12 of the 2025 Australian Open. (Photo by Fred Lee/Getty Images)
It took an unfortunate bounce off the bench toward a nearby ballboy. It didn’t him, but it came close enough for the pearl-clutching fans of the sport to react to her “absolutely shocking behavior.”
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Over the weekend, Sabalenka set out to erase the racket-throwing incident from everyone’s memory with something more wholesome than an outburst of anger.
What’s more wholesome than spending some time with your best friend? I don’t know, how about teaming up with that best friend, Paula Badosa, for a bikini dance video?
Aryna Sabalenka Goes From Racket Rage To Bikini Shake With Paula Badosa
You’re already hanging out. You’re already in bikinis. It’s the next logical step. It not only makes for great pieces of content, but it acts like one of those Men in Black Neuralyzers.
Nobody is going to be focused on that unfortunate racket-throwing nonsense after that kind of content. How could they be?
Everything has shifted to look at the bikini vacation between the two biggest names in tennis. That’s what you want as you prepare for the season-ending WTA Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in two weeks.
Aryna Sabalenka embraces Paula Badosa of Spain at the net after her victory in the Women’s Singles third round match during Day Seven of the French Open at Roland Garros. (Photo by Tnani Badreddine/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
Folks aren’t heading into that tournament talking rackets or, in Badosa’s case, injuries that ended her season early. The attention is on a quick 15-second TikTok video of the two.
Sabalenka and Badosa hit the reset button on the headlines.
Don’t be surprised either if you hear that Sabalenka showed up and rolled through the competition without a single racket or ballboy ending up in harm’s way.
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