World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka's racket throw nearly hits ballboy at Wuhan Open

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Arina Sabalenko She's no stranger to losing her cool during a tennis match, but the world number one may have gone too far during a heated match against American Jessica Pegula.

It was the semi-final women's singles match at the Wuhan Open in China where Sabalenka, upset that her backhand went out of bounds, threw her tennis racket onto the court.

Although tennis players often express disappointment, Sabalenka's shot nearly hit the ball boy near the referee's chair, leading to harsh remarks from the Sky Sports broadcast team.

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Aryna Sabalenka fights against Jessica Pegula of the USA in the semi-finals of the eighth day of the Wuhan Open at the Optics Valley International Tennis Center on October 11, 2025 in Wuhan, China. (Robert Prange/Getty Images)

“This is dangerous territory for Sabalenka, this semi-final came to life in the last 10-15 minutes,” said one TV presenter. Sun.

“Sabolenka received a warning for racketeering abuse, but she was lucky, nothing more.”

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Sabalenka was probably trying to throw her racket towards her bench, but the ball was standing between her and the referee's chair. The video shows her quickly raising her hand to admit the offense.

The match was a draw at the time, with the third set tied 5–5 after Sabalenka lost three games in a row to Pegula. She lost the 11th game, and although she managed to force a tiebreaker, she lost to Pegula.

Sabalenka, the reigning US Open winner, will lose 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-2) to Pegula, who will advance to the final against American Coco Gauff. Pegula lost to Gauff in straight sets, 6-4, 7-5.

Aryna Sabalenka reacts to Jessica Pegula of the USA in the women's singles semi-final match during Day 8 of the Wuhan Open 2025 at Optics Valley International Tennis Center on October 11, 2025 in Wuhan, China. (Wang He/Getty Images)

The 27-year-old Sabalenka has had bouts of frustration in past matches, with some questioning why there were crickets on the court given this one nearly injured a passerby.

“How did Sabalenka not get a warning for throwing her racket?” wrote one user X. “She almost hit the kid with the ball too, that could have been a disqualification. [Iga] For this Swiatek would have been burned at the stake.”

This tournament took place after Sabalenka defended her US Open corona last month. She won her fourth Grand Slam title of the season, although she could have won more.