Commentators have found themselves in a bit of a pickle at the Australian Open this year. First came Channel Nine’s blunder with Novak Djokovic when TV host Tony Jones made ‘inappropriate’ remarks about the Serb during a live press with his fans at Melbourne Park. Days after American Ben Shelton lamented the ‘degrading’ on-court interviews at the hardcourt major, fans met with another disastrous update moments before Aryna Sabalenka locked horns with Madison Keys for the AO title.

This season’s Melbourne summer was a total rollercoaster. Multiple shock exits coupled with the event’s top title contender, Djokovic, marked an abrupt conclusion to their season-opening plans. Things looked quite familiar on the women’s end as well; however, Belarusian Sabalenka remained locked in for the task. She is bidding for a three-peat in Melbourne this season, trying to replicate the feat held by Martina Hingis from 1997 to 1999.

Surprisingly enough, American ex-pro and commentator John McEnroe‘s narration of the name ‘Sabalenka’ hardly lived up to the energy cumulated by fans. The seven-time Slam winner hit a snag on social media after incorrectly pronouncing the Belarusian’s name in a pre-match discussion live on the broadcasting channel. The reports show us that McEnroe invited staunch criticism of his comment delivery after enunciating her name as “Ariana”, instead of “Aryna”.

Stunned by the development, fans immediately took to their X handles to mock the American’s pronunciation, given that the Belarusian star’s name isn’t something you find in the mix. The World No. 1 is a prominent figure on the WTA and her track record has earned her quite the spotlight.

Belarusian Sabalenka has grown fond of Melbourne and not for reasons unknown. She is a two-time consecutive champion of the Australian Open and she thrives off the support she gets from the locals. En route to the title decider, Sabalenka had to close “soulmate” Paula Badosa‘s chapter at the hardcourt Slam and moments later, she talked about embracing the positive reception from fans.

She said, “I feel good here, I feel the support, this year even more. I feel like I’m coming to my home slam. “I know everything, I know every area. I know where to warm up so it’s not that crowded. I go (out) there and I feel people screaming my name. I have goosebumps every time they scream, ‘Let’s go, Aryna!’.” 

Being a household name in Melbourne and currently contesting as a double defending champion, McEnroe’s error sparked a debate among fans online who also pointed out that the incident wasn’t a one-off.

Fans rage over John McEnroe’s incorrect Aryna Sabalenka pronunciation slip-up

One fan expressed their disapproval of the incident, saying, “McEnroe just said ‘Ariana Sabalenka’ I’m done.” Another user highlighted the online mess created by the controversial tennis figure: “Arianna Sabalenka” – John McEnroe.”

McEnroe’s incorrect pronunciation of Sabalenka, ironically, echoes the Belarusian’s hilarious struggle of trying to navigate past the hurdles of the English language at times. Since the language isn’t her native tongue, the World No. 1, on several occasions, mistakenly wrongly pronounced several words, wherein one instance showcased her referring to her boyfriend as “boyfriends”.

For those unaware, American star McEnroe also earned backlash for wrongly pronouncing German Alexander Zverev‘s name as “Zuh-verev”, a day before he squares off against Italian Jannik Sinner in the men’s summit clash on Sunday. As for Sabalenka’s final task in Melbourne, the WTA ranking leader had something to share with fans before setting her eye on the prize.

One fan, shocked with the update, rhetorically asked, “McEnroe just call her ARIANA sabalenka????????” Another user sarcastically commented on the online debate – “I know McEnroe didn’t just call her “Ariana Sabalenka.”

Sabalenka and Keys are currently head-to-toe against each other at the Rod Laver Arena. With one set apiece, both players are willing to go to the distance and clinch the season-opening Slam win at Melbourne Park.