Aryna Sabalenka became the first finalist of the Australian Open as she managed to move past Coco Gauff. She kept her streak of no set loss going as she shut down the US Open champion in straight sets. She achieved her revenge in front of sports legends Billie Jean King and Evonne Goolagong Cawley. After the match, she made sure to thank the two for their contributions to the sport.

Sabalenka played the match of her life against Coco Gauff. The Belarusian beauty found some difficulty in overcoming Gauff in the first set but managed to move on to her third slam final. While King was apparently not happy with the American’s loss, the Belarusian still feels grateful to the legend.

Aryna Sabalenka thanks WTA legends for their presence

Billie Jean King is one of the pioneers of women’s tennis. She is the reason the Women’s Tennis Association came into existence and has reached the heights it has today. She has fought for equal prize money for women and continues to strive for it. Then in the land down under, Evonne Goolagong Cawley inspired many women in the sport and held the position of Sports Ambassador to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities. And Aryna Sabalenka, like the rest of us, is appropriately impressed.

Both WTA legends worked hard during and after their careers to ensure their successors would not have to face the difficulties they did. Sabalenka, playing in front of them, felt honored and said, “I couldn’t dream playing in front of you guys. Thank you so much for everything you’ve done for our sport. It’s a privilege. Thank you so much.”

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Sabalenka won her bout against Gauff in front of the two WTA legends and will go on to play in the finals. Although King was smiling during Sabalenka’s win, some fans believed that she was angry that Gauff lost.

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Fans call out Billie Jean King’s bias

Although tennis is not a sport where the nation of a player is focused upon, fans are bound to support players from their countries. King, an American, likely supported Coco Gauff, who is also American. Her disappointment after Gauff lost shone through as fans took notice of her. Many went to social media to chastise King for her expressions.

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One fan said, “She can f**k right off”, while many wrote along the lines of her having to get over Gauff’s loss. One fan went for a personal insult as they wondered how she was still breathing. Although Sabalenka loved having the two in the arena for her win, King’s expression showed that she might’ve been unhappy about the loss of Gauff.