Just two days ago, Aryna Sabalenka snapped at a reporter for questioning whether her off-court schedule was getting in the way of tennis, even telling him to think before asking such questions. But the scrutiny did not appear out of nowhere. Sabalenka’s dip in form, combined with frequent brand appearances and social media activity, fueled questions about her focus. Now, Ajla Tomljanovic is pushing back, arguing that those appearances were misunderstood.

“You could tell that she was just frustrated… There was talk about her maybe not being focused enough… attending too many parties, but really they’re events,” said Tomljanovic, before explaining that those appearances were sponsor obligations rather than nights out. “People don’t understand these aren’t parties. These are obligations, and they’re your sponsors… She gets great pictures and looks great. But that’s not the main thing that was happening that day.”

Sabalenka’s pre-US Open schedule was packed. While preparing to defend her title, she attended several brand events around New York, promoted jewelry and hair-care products, featured a five-star hotel on social media, and visited Gucci’s New York flagship store.

She was also competing during opening week, playing mixed doubles with Novak Djokovic before losing to Katerina Siniakova and Henry Patten. Soon after, she was back fulfilling sponsor commitments.

One of the most noticeable appearances came at Material Good’s SoHo store, where Sabalenka wore jewelry worth around $330,000. She was also promoting her Moroccanoil partnership.

The timing only made the scrutiny worse. Sabalenka had not won a title since March and had suffered early exits during the summer hard-court swing, so every glamorous post became another reason for critics to question her focus.

That was exactly the problem Brad Gilbert had with the criticism. He felt the reporter was close to crossing the line by repeatedly focusing on Sabalenka’s pre-tournament schedule.

“This is a yellow card bordering on a red card,” Gilbert said, adding that once the tournament started, the focus should have returned to tennis.

He also dismissed the idea that Sabalenka’s TikToks showed a lack of focus. “Doing a TikTok video or doing something like that, having fun,” he said, does not suddenly make a player less serious about competing.

Gilbert then pointed to the reality of life at a major. “These are sponsors’ obligations,” he said, explaining that players can take photos, meet sponsors and leave without spending hours away from preparation.

For him, social media only shows a few polished moments. It does not show the training, recovery and preparation happening away from the camera.

Now, Sabalenka gets another chance to prove that on court, with Taylor Townsend and a partisan New York crowd waiting next.

Aryna Sabalenka Ready for Taylor Townsend and the New York Noise

Sabalenka has backed up her words with dominant tennis in New York. After crushing Polina Iatcenko 6-1, 6-1, she beat Kamilla Rakhimova 6-3, 6-4 to reach the fourth round without dropping a set. She has looked far sharper than she did during the summer hard-court swing and is now three wins into her bid for a third straight US Open title.

Next comes Taylor Townsend, and this will be a very different test. The American is a left-hander who can disrupt Sabalenka with slices, drop shots and aggressive net play. Townsend has already beaten Maja Chwalinska and Taylah Preston in straight sets before surviving a three-set battle against Diana Shnaider.

Then there is the crowd. Sabalenka knows the New York fans will lean heavily toward the American, but she says she has learned to accept it. “I have a better understanding and am accepting the fact that they’re going to cheer against me,” Sabalenka said. She also warned that if the crowd gets under her skin, it may backfire. “Sometimes they can piss me off, and that’s also not a good thing for them.”