It was back in March when Aryna Sabalenka won back-to-back titles at Indian Wells and Miami, completing the Sunshine Double. But since then, as the World No. 1 struggled to make deep runs, the scrutiny around her form only grew louder. And the criticism wasn’t limited to her results; her life away from the tennis court became part of the conversation too.

Sabalenka’s brand appearances quickly became an easy talking point whenever her results dipped. But after crushing Polina Iatcenko 6-1, 6-1 in the US Open second round, the World No. 1 appeared to have had enough. When a reporter questioned whether her off-court commitments had affected her preparation, Sabalenka didn’t hold back.

“You guys are like a joke. Party is fun? Like, why would you even say that? Why would you even think about that? What kind of question is that?” Sabalenka responded. “Just because I posted some activities with brands, you think that I’ve been partying, not training?”

The reporter clarified that he meant Sabalenka had attended several events, not that she had been partying. But when he asked whether she had become more serious and combative since the tournament began, she shot back, “Oh, yeah, I wasn’t serious before that. Next question.” She then warned him, “Think before you say stuff.”

Notably, Sabalenka’s social media presence is also a key part of her business. Before the US Open, she attended promotional events for Dobel Tequila and Material Good, visited Gucci’s New York flagship store, and announced a new partnership with Moroccanoil. Those appearances expanded her brand portfolio.

In fact, her social media popularity and brand deals have helped make her a fan favorite, but they have also given critics ammunition to question whether tennis always comes first.

However, Sabalenka doesn’t regret having an active online life. In an interview with Time last month, she called social media an escape from the grind of the Tour and made it clear that she had stopped caring about the criticism.

Nonetheless, while Sabalenka refused to discuss her active life away from tennis during her US Open press conferences, her struggles on the court have been impossible to ignore. The Belarusian’s patchy form has cost her against the likes of Hailey Baptiste, Diana Shnaider, and Sara Bejlek. And she hasn’t escaped backlash, either. Former World No. 1 Boris Becker has even pointed to her online activities while delivering a blunt assessment of her recent struggles on the court.

Boris Becker slams Aryna Sabalenka for her online presence

Last week, Becker’s criticism went beyond simply pointing out Sabalenka’s recent results. The former World No. 1 suggested that tennis may not be getting quite as much of her attention as it once did.

While admitting that he enjoys watching Sabalenka play, Becker noted that the 28-year-old seems to be appearing more frequently on social media than on the practice court. He acknowledged that there is nothing inherently wrong with that, but then questioned whether her priorities may have shifted.

“Maybe the focus has been lost a little. She has been playing successfully for a long time, has earned a lot of money, won a lot of titles, and so on. She’s recently engaged. Is her private life her focus right now? And tennis number two? Because that would explain it,” Becker said.

He also floated another possibility: perhaps a change in coaching could help Sabalenka rediscover the level that has made her one of the most dominant players on the WTA Tour.

And Becker wasn’t the only former player questioning Sabalenka’s chances at Flushing Meadows. Former WTA star Johanna Konta offered a different explanation for why she doesn’t see the World No. 1 as the clear favorite to lift the trophy.

“I don’t think it is necessarily a question of level, because she can play well, she can find a consistent level in every match, it’s not because of that. I actually think it’s because players in the draw believe a bit more right now when they are against her,” Konta explained.

That assessment perhaps gets to the heart of Sabalenka’s struggles this season. The World No. 1 has repeatedly found herself coming up short against unseeded or lower-ranked opponents, making her recent results harder to brush aside as isolated setbacks.

With her form already under the spotlight and Elena Rybakina threatening her grip on the No. 1 ranking, there is plenty at stake at the US Open. Sabalenka now has more than just a title to defend at Flushing Meadows. She has a chance to answer her critics, reclaim her best tennis and show that her place at the top is still hers to keep.

Still, writing her off in New York would be foolish. She has reached the semifinals in each of the last five years and won the title twice in a row.

The top seed opened her US Open campaign with a commanding 6-2, 6-4 victory over Camila Osorio.

Having won her two matches, Sabalenka will now face Kamila Rakhimova in the third round, who has beaten the likes of Barbora Krejcikova and Oksana Selekhmeteva in the first two rounds.