Second seed Aryna Sabalenka is set to play Jessica Pegula in a highly anticipated US Open final on Saturday (September 7). However, this is not the news that has been circulating on social media recently.
The biggest news has been about Sabalenka’s fitness coach, Jason Stacy. He has come under intense scrutiny following his alleged support for the pro-women brand ‘XX-XY Athletics.’
Stacy was seen in the player’s box during the US Open semi-final between Sabalenka and Emma Navarro. However, he was wearing a hat from the ‘XX-XY Athletics’ brand, which generated social media criticism.
This brand was launched earlier this year by retired athlete Jennifer Sey and has been backed despite its controversy by many sportspeople, such as Riley Gaines. It is now being banned from the entire social media spectrum due to its alleged transphobic promotion. According to the brand’s background, the letters (XX-XY) are derived from the male and female chromosomes and it coincides with its ideology.
Aryna Sabalenka secures qualification for WTA Finals Riyadh
The WTA announced that Aryna Sabalenka has qualified for the 2024 WTA Finals. This event will be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from November 2 to 9. Sabalenka, who reached the final last year, will be making her fourth appearance in the competition. She joins Iga Swiatek, who qualified earlier in August.
Sabalenka has been a top player in the 2024 PIF Race to the WTA Finals. She started the season by reaching two finals in a row. First, she played in the WTA 500 Brisbane International and then won the Australian Open for her second Grand Slam title.
In addition to her Grand Slam win, Sabalenka has performed well in WTA 1000 tournaments. She won the Cincinnati Open last month, while also reaching the finals of the Mutua Madrid Open and the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, where she lost to Swiatek in both matches.
At 26 years old, Sabalenka continues to earn valuable ranking points which could get a further boost if she manages to win the US Open title. Her results have been consistent despite missing out on Wimbledon and the Paris Olympics.
In case you missed it!