Raking in a "staggering 73.5 billion won," then demanding "more money" → "Outburst controversy," world No. 1 suffers "shocking early exit"... A humiliating "greatest upset in history"

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It is a humiliation. Aryna Sabalenka (28, Belarus), the women's tennis world No. 1 who has constantly been the subject of public scrutiny due to her rough behavior on and off the court, harsh remarks, and prize money boycott controversy, suffered a shocking early elimination.

On the 14th (Korean time), American player Ann Li defeated top seed Sabalenka in a grueling two-hour, 27-minute battle, winning 2-1 in sets (3-6, 6-4, 7-6<5>). The WTA expressed astonishment at the match result, describing it as "the greatest upset in tournament history."

Ann Li, who defeated Sabalenka, secured her third career victory over a top 10 opponent and her second major win of the season. She also recorded her first win against Sabalenka after three consecutive losses in their head-to-head record.

On the other hand, Sabalenka, who had won the Wuhan tournament three times in total and reached the semifinals four times, bowed her head after failing to advance to the semifinals for the first time in history.

The match was dramatic yet intense. After losing the first set and trailing 2-4 in games in the second set, Ann Li displayed formidable resilience by winning nine of the next 11 games to take a 5-2 lead in the third set. Sabalenka also fought tenaciously, even receiving tape treatment on her right leg. In a 5-3 situation, she saved five match points and then blocked two additional match points with forehand and backhand winners at 5-4 to level the score at 5-5.

Ultimately, the match went to a tiebreak. Sabalenka fought on in the tiebreak as well, saving two more match points with her forehand, but Ann Li put away the 10th match point with a forehand, bringing the major upset to a close.

According to the WTA, Ann Li stated at the post-match press conference, "I nearly lost my mind in the match point situation. I felt like I was about to collapse, but I realized that it wasn't that I couldn't hit the ball, but rather that my opponent was hitting it exceptionally well, and I focused on each individual point."

Meanwhile, this defeat has once again brought Sabalenka's poor form and off-court controversies under scrutiny. Recently, Sabalenka has faced widespread criticism for impulsive behavior that crossed the line on and off the court.

The British media outlet "GiveMeSport" reported, "Sabalenka faced a potential fine of up to 70,000 dollars (approximately 94 million won) after smashing her racket and hurling insults at a cameraman who was filming closely, immediately after losing the US Open final to Elena Rybakina, which cost her a third consecutive title and the world No. 1 ranking she had held for 99 weeks."

The British "Daily Mail" also pointed out, "Sabalenka competed wearing a provocative see-through dress that revealed her underwear, and despite criticism of her clown-like attire, she displayed a defiant attitude, saying, 'What do I care what others think?'"

Controversies over her on-court manners have not ceased. The British "BBC" reported, "Sabalenka has come under fire for poor emotional control, including roughly tossing her racket to a ball kid and shouting at heckling spectators to 'come here.'" Furthermore, despite earning a massive total of 36.3 million pounds (approximately 73.5 billion won) in prize money, she stirred up player boycotts by expressing dissatisfaction with the revenue distribution at major tournaments, drawing fierce criticism from fellow stars such as Iga Swiatek and Emma Raducanu.

Despite a series of outrageous incidents and public controversies—including revealing attire, racket smashing, insults toward reporters, and tournament boycott remarks—Sabalenka had maintained her skill level. However, she collapsed after a battle involving 10 match points at this Wuhan Open, tasting another bitter self-destruction.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original