Aryna Sabalenka Faces Empty Arthur Ashe Crowd as US Open’s Money Move Backfires Horribly

The defending champ is back. And you know the Belarusian will throw down the gauntlet. Especially when you realize she has missed out on the three other Majors of the year. And this is the final Hail Mary. But guess what? Aryna Sabalenka has started her US Open defense in front of an empty court. Why? Because watching your favorite superstar will take a backseat when it hurts your pocket so much.

The big update was shared by a Sabalenka fan only. ‘Liviefromparis’ from X dropped the post on August 25, which read, “It’s Sunday in New York, the World Number 1 Aryna Sabalenka is playing on Arthur Ashe and it’s EMPTY. Cheapest tickets cost $200…. absolutely inaccessible for most people. How is it acceptable?”

So much to unpack, isn’t it? But when you add it up, you see a glaring problem. Even on a Sunday, a holiday, the Centre Court of Flushing Meadows is scarcely filled, while one of the biggest favorites of the tournament gets her campaign underway. Well, the ticket prices probably had a role in it. The resale tickets are still available on the Ticketmaster website for the evening session on Sunday, signifying how the fans have stayed away from the courts on the first day.

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And even though the cheapest tickets are not exactly $200 at the Arthur Ashe Arena, the minimum prices being shown start from $135 per person, which is undoubtedly quite high. Is that the only reason, though? Are you saying there aren’t affluent people in the US who would want to see the defending champion, the number one seed, take center stage at the US Open?

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Well, maybe it’s her acoustic signature that is keeping the fans away for now. Even during the match against Rebeka Masarova, her intense battle cries left some of the fans with a few complaints. Like this particular fan shared on X: “Her screams are ridiculous! Why aren’t the umpires addressing it?”

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Well, aesthetics can’t be the reason for an umpire getting involved. So, unless there’s any wrongdoing involved, this is here to stay. And so is Aryna Sabalenka, who dispatched her opponent in straight sets in 1 hour and 21 minutes. Maybe that’s another reason for the fans staying away. Did anybody expect anything other than a regulation, dominant win for the 27-year-old? Maybe the fans are waiting for things to get exciting.

Well, the defending Champion got down to business as she tries to end the season on a high note. And she brought some new fashion moves to the court.

The same old Aryna Sabalenka, the brand new Aryna Sabalenka

The grunts, the power, the dominance – it was Aryna Sabalenka picking up from where she left off in 2024. Against her Swiss challenger, the Belarusian registered a 77% win on 1st serve, and 63% win on 2nd serve. With 15 net points won (88%), the 2-time Australian Open Champion has also shown she is moving well. That kind of well-rounded performance will come in handy when she goes deep in the tournament.

via Imago Aryna Sabalenka celebrates after winning a point in the second set before defeating Elise Mertens of Belgium in the 4th round in Louis Armstrong Stadium at the 2024 US Open Tennis Championships in at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Sunday, September 1, 2024 in New York City. PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxONLY NYP20240901121 JOHNxANGELILLO

But there was something new about the same old Sabalenka. Oh, that would be her stylish see-through equipment bag, which immediately drew attention once we laid our eyes on it. The Tennis Letter also caught it as they shared Sabalenka’s interaction with the post-match on-court interviewer, Pam Shriver.

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With that, the news outlet also shared a pic of the bag on X, an artistically done red-striped, totally transparent equipment bag. When asked, Sabalenka said, “I brought the idea and the wonderful Wilson team brought it to life. It’s always been a dream of mine to work with Wilson and Nike and create something special, like my unique pieces. I really hope you guys like it.🐯❤️”.

Day 1 and Aryna Sabalenka is already turning heads, with her strokeplay and her fashion statements. Now, that’s how you start a US Open campaign.

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