When it comes to showing power on the court, Aryna Sabalenka stands front and center. The Belarusian is a force of nature. Her aggressive play, baseline domination, and high-risk, high-reward style define her game. Her biggest weapon? That blistering serve. Sabalenka regularly fires serves in the 110–120+ mph range, instantly putting opponents on defense. And of course, there’s her signature grunt! The one that echoes through the arena and grabs every ear in the crowd. But why does she do it?

During her time in New York City, Sabalenka joined The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and Fallon had to ask. While showing a clip of her smashing the ball into her phone, he noticed her powerful grunt. “Do you know that you’re making that noise in the moment?” he asked. Her answer took a funny trip down memory lane.

“I have zero control over it,” Aryna Sabalenka revealed. “You know, one time we played an exhibition with Novak, and they put a mic on me, and I realized that I’m grunting, and I’m like, ‘Oh my God, that was so bad for people.’ I’m like, ‘We need to offer earplugs to them,’ you know? I was like, ‘I don’t want to annoy people.’ I wanted to take off the mic, but I think they shut the sound on my mic when I was hitting the ball.”

She was recalling the 2024 A Night with Novak and Friends charity match at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne. That night, Sabalenka teamed up with Novak Djokovic against Stefanos Tsitsipas and Maria Sakkari, with all four players wired up with mics. It led to an awkward yet hilarious moment as Sabalenka asked for her mic volume to be turned down before play. Laughing, she said, “My screaming is so loud.” Once the rally began, she tried to hold back and joked, “I can’t play when I’m not screaming.” The crowd erupted. What was usually her fierce on-court habit turned into a lighthearted and unforgettable highlight.

But when Fallon asked if grunting actually helped her win, Sabalenka wasn’t sure. “I have zero control over it, like, unfortunately, for so many people,” she said.

This year, Sabalenka shattered Wimbledon’s grunt records, peaking at a staggering 113 decibels, the loudest ever recorded at the grass Major. The tournament even compared her roar to a lion’s bellow, a car horn, and a revving motorcycle. And she’s in good company as plenty of tennis stars have built reputations for their soundtracks.

Maria Sharapova once topped the charts at 108-109 decibels. Monica Seles pioneered the trend with her 90-decibel grunts, which drew complaints from Martina Navratilova back in 1992. Victoria Azarenka’s familiar grunts hit 104 decibels. Michelle Larcher de Brito peaked at 109 during the 2009 French Open. Even the Williams sisters often made waves for their volume.

Sabalenka, though, seems to wear her grunt with pride. Sure, it’s not ideal when she’s mic’d up, but it’s part of what makes her so electrifying to watch. And lately, the World No. 1 hasn’t just been opening up about her on-court moves.

Aryna Sabalenka speaks up on switching her nationality

Sabalenka sat down with Nick Kyrgios on Piers Morgan Uncensored on December 10, and the World No.1 was asked an intriguing question: “You’ve not been competing with the Belarus flag… We’ve got events like the Olympics coming up and so on. What do you hope happens? Would you like to get back to being able to compete with your nation’s flag?”

For a moment, Aryna Sabalenka hasn’t been one to hold back and speak her truth. This time was no different! “I have always been really proud to represent such a small country, and I take it as you know I’m an inspiration for the young kids there,” she said. “For example, changing nationality, it’s not the case for me. Because I don’t want to betray all those kids.”

Her answer hit differently. The conviction in her voice left no room for doubt. This wasn’t about politics or pressure. It was about pride. “I would like to represent Belarus just for the kids from that country to see me competing on a high level and get inspired by me,” she continued. “Hopefully by my example, I’ll show them that if I was able to make it from that little country in the world, make it all the way to the top… I want them to think they can also do that.”

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The ban on Russian and Belarusian tennis players competing under their flags dates back to 2022, when the ITF suspended both nations’ tennis associations from major tournaments and team events like the Davis Cup and BJK Cup. While some players have since changed nationalities for freedom or opportunity, Sabalenka stayed firm. Her loyalty was loud in the middle of fellow players changing their allegiance.

Now, as her incredible 2025 season winds down, Sabalenka is set to take the court again. This time for fun, in Dubai’s Battle of the Sexes against Nick Kyrgios. Will she bring that signature grunt and steal the show for the WTA? Let us know what you think in the comments below!