Aryna Sabalenka is known for her fiery on-court presence, but during her match against Qinwen Zheng in Rome, she made headlines for more than just her powerful groundstrokes. In the heat of competition, a voice rang out from the crowd with a direct plea: “Come on Aryna, play tennis.”

Without missing a beat, Sabalenka turned toward the stands and delivered a blunt response: “Shut the f*** up.” The moment was brief, but it sent ripples through the stadium, leaving fans both stunned and amused by her no-nonsense reaction.

Sabalenka has never shied away from expressing herself, whether in interviews or on the court. Her intensity fuels her performances, and while some may see the exchange as controversial, others view it as a sign of her laser focus and unwillingness to be distracted during battle.

Sabalenka in Rome, ranking, and results in 2025

Now ranked no.1, Sabalenka owns a composed 34-5 match record in 2025. The Belarussian is currently having a run in Rome where she toppled the world no.34 Anastasia Potapova 6-2 6-2

, the world no.31 Sofia Kenin 3-6 6-3 6-3 and the world no.27 Marta Kostyuk 6-1 7-6(8).

Aryna Sabalenka will play the world no.8 Qinwen Zheng in the quarter on Wednesday at 7:00 pm on CAMPO CENTRALE. Their current record is 6-0 for Sabalenka.

The Belarussian clinched 3 titles in 2025 in Brisbane, Miami and Madrid. Sabalenka was the finalist at the Australian Open, in Indian Wells (BNP Paribas Open) and in Stuttgart (Porsche Tennis Grand Prix).

The Belarussian won 20 titles in her career: 15 on hard courts, 3 on clay courts and 2 on indoor courts. (See the list of her titles)