While the WTA has the likes of Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka, who boast a fluid serving motion that can send down rocket serves, the field does have players who have their own quirky routines while serving. One such player is Aliaksandra Sasnovich, whose Belarusian serving style drew some fan backlash in her second-round match at the Ningbo Open.

Playing against Leylah Fernandez, Sasnovich was involved in a tight battle in which she had to stop the Canadian from breaking her serve during the fifth game of the third set. This is where fans got a look at the former World No. 29’s serve motion, which saw her have a limited backswing during the ball toss. What was even more unique was that Sasnovich did not have a traditional forward weight transfer, but rather bent her knees while serving, with her back leg bending the other way.

One could almost justify the fan frustration if they looked at the match stats for Sasnovich against Fernandez. She won just over 50% of serve points while being broken 8 times in the match. However, it was the return that worked for the Belarusian, who broke Fernandez five times and pushed the Canadian to a third set before losing the match that went over three hours.

While lacking in fluidity, Sasnovich’s serve does have a couple of advantages, with the Belarusian reducing the risk of shoulder injury by avoiding a full-throttle overhead motion. Her bending of the knees just before the serve gives her motion a slight pause, which can keep the opponent guessing about return positions.

Sasnovich is not the only player on the WTA to use a unique serving style. A few months ago, former Top 40 player Madison Brengle came under fan fire because of her service motion, which saw the American player use a shortened backswing during the ball toss and instead push the ball at the point of contact rather than taking a full forward swing. Someone like Sara Errani has often used underarm serves for tactical advantage in matches, with the Italian lacking pace on her serve and often suffering from the yips.

As for Sasnovich, fans came down hard on the Belarusian for her service motion, despite her playing a great match against Fernandez.

Fans Slam Aliaksandra Sasnovich’s Serve During Her Ningbo Open Clash

Fans were less than charitable towards Sasnovich’s serve, with one fan saying, “So clunky. Gotta be one of the worst service motions I’ve ever seen.”

Other fans shared similar sentiments, with one saying, “Their service is insanely wild, it’s total madness,” while another said, “The ballerina serve.”

Another fan said, “She literally did that the whole match lmaooooo she gives away 150 tips in her game it’s so funny. It could’ve been 6-0 6-0 if Leylah wasn’t so bad.”

The fan was not off the mark, as the Sasnovich-Fernandez match saw both players make quite a lot of unforced errors, with Fernandez making 53 unforced errors and Sasnovich making as many as 73 errors.

While fans were bashful of the Belarusian, another fan had a more understanding perspective of the unique serving motion. “It looks awkward but she actually striking it very well. Sasnovich not a bad player, maybe injury or coaching picking a specific mechanic to help with her serve, but not even the worst or bad serve I’ve seen sir,” said the fan.

While much criticism has been directed at Sasnovich’s serve, the Belarusian has had a moderately successful career. Even though she has yet to win a title on the Tour, the Belarusian did reach five singles finals and one doubles final. At Grand Slams, her best result has been a fourth-round finish at the French Open and Wimbledon.

Sasnovich’s best singles moment came while playing for her country during the 2017 Billie Jean King Cup Finals. Along with the likes of Sabalenka, Sasnovich played a major role in helping Team Belarusia reach the final, where they fell short against the USA.