Aryna Sabalenka faced a frustrating evening at the Italian Open 2025 in Rome as she crashed out in the quarterfinals against Zheng Qinwen. The world number one was clearly off her rhythm and let her emotions get the better of her during the match.
Zheng Qinwen stunned the crowd at Centre Court with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Sabalenka, snapping a six-match losing streak against the Belarusian. Aryna Sabalenka had never lost to Zheng before, having defeated her in all six of their previous encounters, including the Miami Open earlier this year.
Aryna Sabalenka erupts during tense quarterfinal
In a key moment during the second set, with Sabalenka already trailing, a fan tried to urge her on by shouting, “Come on Aryna, play tennis.” Instead of helping, the comment triggered Sabalenka’s anger. She snapped back at the spectator, shouting, “Shut the f*** up!” Her outburst earned her an audible obscenity warning from the umpire, adding to her troubles on court.
Aryna Sabalenka responds to someone who shouted out in the crowd during her match against Qinwen Zheng in Rome
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) May 14, 2025
“Come on Aryna, play tennis”
Aryna: “Shut the f*** up” 💀💀
pic.twitter.com/zWNKpyzcXP
Aryna Sabalenka’s frustration was evident as she struggled to find her rhythm. Zheng, the current world number eight and Olympic gold medallist, had broken Sabalenka’s serve in the opening game of the second set and never looked back.
Zheng’s breakthrough victory over Aryna Sabalenka
The win marked Zheng’s first-ever victory against Aryna Sabalenka and booked her a spot in the semifinals against American star Coco Gauff. The Chinese star had lost her only WTA 1000 final to Sabalenka in Wuhan and was defeated in the 2024 Australian Open final by her as well. This quarterfinal win came as a big relief for Zheng.
Meanwhile, Sabalenka will now regroup ahead of the French Open 2025, where she hopes to make a breakthrough after semifinal and quarterfinal exits in the past two years. Despite reaching the Australian Open final earlier this season, her title hopes were dashed by Madison Keys.
This latest loss, her first against Zheng Qinwen, and the on-court controversy mark a difficult chapter in Aryna Sabalenka’s season, but she remains a strong contender for upcoming Grand Slam glory.
