Aryna Sabalenka has been on a redemption arc at Wimbledon this year. After missing last year’s tournament due to a shoulder injury, the Belarusian stormed into the quarterfinals without dropping a single set. With two Grand Slam final losses behind her, she’s more determined than ever to finally clinch that elusive major title. But on Tuesday, Sabalenka found herself in unfamiliar territory, on the losing end of a set. Facing Germany’s Laura Siegemund, Sabalenka dropped the opening set, and it’s not the scoreline that’s grabbing headlines. It’s how she responded.

Aryna Sabalenka’s frustration was written all over her face during the fifth game. She threw her arms up, rolled her eyes, and looked visibly annoyed when the ball boys took too long to deliver the balls. At one point, she even smacked a few balls back across the net in irritation after waiting for them to be sent over from Siegemund’s side.

On the other side of the net, 37-year-old Laura Siegemund, ranked No. 104 in the world, played with precision. Her clever use of variety, deft slices, well-placed drop shots, and impeccably timed winners threw Sabalenka completely off balance. The German looked tense while serving for the set at 5-3, double-faulting twice to let Sabalenka close the gap to 5-4. But the German regrouped and served it out on her second attempt, finishing with an unreturned serve to take the set.

As soon as the players headed to their benches, Sabalenka covered her face with a towel and then took a six-minute toilet break. According to Wimbledon rules, a player is allowed only a 5-minute bathroom break. This didn’t sit well with many fans online.

Fans react to Aryna Sabalenka’s long break

Several fans took to X to express their disapproval of Aryna Sabalenka, calling out what they saw as double standards. “Sabalenka 6 minute toilet break after losing a set but no one is talking about it, different standards always for some players,” one fan wrote.

Another chimed in, “Not Sabalenka using Iga’s bathroom tactics? Girl get out 💀”

Iga Swiatek has often found herself in the spotlight, not just for her dominance on the court, but for her bathroom breaks too. During her Australian Open semifinal clash against Madison Keys, the Pole took a bathroom break that lasted nine minutes, sparking fresh debates about gamesmanship. And it’s not just breaks. Swiatek even drew criticism for a bizarre “warmup” routine in the middle of her match against Keys, which further fueled the fire.

Echoing the sentiment, a third added, “Sabalenka went on a toilet break after losing a set! Once again: Sabalenka went on a toilet break after losing a set! Where are you, toilet police? Oh, you’re not here because it’s not Iga Świątek, I get it.”

During a third-round match at Wimbledon last year, Yulia Putintseva was visibly frustrated as she repeatedly asked the umpire what was going on while Swiatek took an extended break at the end of the second set. The crowd then booed Świątek when she returned to the court, and she went on to lose the match.

Another fan made a similar statement and said, “And now no one talks about toilet break but when Iga takes it, it’s the end of the world lol, double standards”

Aryna Sabalenka, meanwhile, isn’t new to fan backlash either. After losing the French Open final to Coco Gauff, she faced criticism for her post-match remarks. Sabalenka called it “the worst final I ever played” and went on to suggest that Swiatek would have beaten Gauff had she made it past Sabalenka in the semis. However, any tension between the two stars seemed to be squashed at Wimbledon. Sabalenka offered an apology, and the pair were later seen filming TikTok videos together, putting the controversy to rest

One fan wrote, “I’d like to report a crime. The WTA world no. 1 Aryna Sabalenka has left the court for a bathroom break after losing the first set of her Wimbledon quarterfinal match against Laura Siegemund.”

Interestingly, the World No.1’s quarterfinal opponent at Wimbledon, Laura Siegemund, has also experienced the sting of fan disapproval. At the 2023 U.S. Open, during her match against Coco Gauff, Siegemund was booed by the crowd for her slow pace of play. Gauff herself complained to the umpire mid-match, and the situation escalated to the point where Siegemund received a point penalty for delay.

After the match, an emotional Siegemund said, “I am very, very disappointed of the way people treated me today … they had no respect for me,” as she addressed the media.

From long toilet breaks to slow play and controversial comments, these moments continue to stir debate about the fine line between strategy and sportsmanship in tennis. Follow the Championships in real-time with EssentiallySports’ Live Blog updates.