Aryna Sabalenka's Hindrance Call Drama At Australian Open Semifinal, Did She Abuse Her Opponent?

Belarusian professional tennis sensation Aryna Sabalenka is facing Kazakhstani tennis sensation Elena Rybakina in the final of the Australian Open 2026. During the semi-finals held on January 29, 2026, Sabalenka beat Elina Svitolina, but the game was halted by umpire Louise Azemar Engzellwith a ‘stop, hindrance’ call. This led to a huge controversy. Let us read on to know more about it.

Why was the ‘hindrance call’ controversy, which led Aryna Sabalenka to lose a point?

While the semi-final match was on, the empire, Louise Azemar Engzellwith took a ‘hindrance call’ and stopped the match. While Svitolina stood in disbelief, Sabalenka immediately reacted with "What?" The empire went on to tell Sabalenka that she made a peculiar noise which she usually does not make. As per the empire:

“You went, ‘Uh-aya'. You don’t make the normal sound.”

Aryna Sabalenka reacted after the Australian Open umpire controversy

After the empire made the call, Sabalenka stood in disbelief and called for a television review. However, she lost that point, which made her more aggressive. Sabalenka turned more focused on the game after the incident and beat Svitolina in the semi-finals, securing her place in the finals. Post the match, the world no. 1 sat for an interview and spoke about the ‘hindrance call’.

In the interview, the Belarusian spoke her heart out and revealed that it never happened to her in her long career. Speaking about the same, she said:

“That’s actually never happened to me. Especially with my grunting. It’s so off, I think. I was like, ‘What? What is wrong with you?’ I think it was the wrong call. She really pissed me off. It actually helped me and benefited my game. It actually helped me — I was more aggressive. I was not happy with the call, and it really helped me to get that game. So if she (Azemar Engzell) ever wants to do it again — like, I want to make sure that she’s not afraid of it — go ahead, call it. It’s going to help me.”

Did Aryna Sabalenka abuse her opponent, Elina Svitolina?

The Australian Women's Open 2026 semi-finals saw another controversy when it was reported that Aryna Sabalenka abused her opponent, Elina Svitolina. As per reports, the Belarusian said “f*** you” to Svitolina immediately after booking her place in the Australian Open final. As Sabalenka registered a dominant 6-2, 6-3 victory right after winning the final point of the match, she appeared to say 'f*** you' under her breath, as per various reports. While it is not clear if Sabalenka said ‘f* you,’ or murmured something else in her native tongue.

Aryna Sabalenka’s opponent, Elina Svitolina, refused a handshake post the match

Svitolina has refused to shake hands with or take photos with Russian or Belarusian players due to political conflicts. After her loss to Sabalenka, the two players didn’t exchange pleasantries. Before the conclusion of the match, a message on the big screen from Australian Open organisers informed the crowd that the pair would not be shaking hands at the net after the match.

When Sabalenka was asked about Svitolina’s decision not to shake hands, the Belarusian revealed that she respected her opponent’s decision. In her words:

“I’m not focusing on that, and they’ve been doing it for so long. It’s their decision, and I respect that. And I have time right now to respect her and on-court interview. I think that she knows I respect her as a player, I know she respects me as a player. That’s all I care. But no handshake, it's their decision. I respect that." 

What do you think about Aryna Sabalenka’s semi-final controversy?

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