Mary Carillo Branded “Awful” After Cutting Off Amanda Anisimova and Aryna Sabalenka at US Open

Imagine this, you lost the finals of Wimbledon and then that of the US Open as well. Being a runner-up in back-to-back finals has its own emotional toll, and what could salt that wound even more is not having the moment to say what you want after the match. That is what happened with Amanda Anisimova today. And Aryna Sabalenka wasn’t safe from Mary Carillo either. The on-court Interview after the final had some moments that had the fans slamming the American sports commentator.

A fan voiced out on X, “I’m sorry, that was an absolutely awful hosted ceremony by Mary Carillo. She didn’t even realize Sabalenka was not finished with her speech yet. Either get someone who can actually moderate it like Mary Joe Fernandez in past years or (preferably) it’s not an interview.” Mary Carillo had the microphone after the US Open final came to an end, and it was a disaster.

“I mean, I absolutely love playing here, and it’s always been a dream of mine to play in the final of the US Open. Um, so a big thank you to everyone at the US Open who’s made this happen,” Amanda Anisimova said in the on-court Interview after the match. She paused for a second after she expressed her thanks to the US Open tournament director, Stacey Allaster, which Carillo misunderstood as the conclusion of her speech. Before the US Open runner-up could say anything, Carillo interrupted, asking her to stay on stage to collect her finalist trophy. “Uh, just a few more words,” Anisimova had to clarify. Even the 2025 US Open Champion was not safe from Carillo.

“Aryna Sabalenka, get up here.” That probably is not the most appropriate way to call the champion up on the stage, but Carillo did. “Thank you guys for bringing the best the best atmosphere,” Aryna Sabalenka said for the US crowd, but she still had more to say, and she did not take a pause; she was interrupted. Carillo went on to call the sponsor to present her with the check while the Belarusian had a confused look on her face.  In the she also had to clarify, “Wait, wait, wait, wait. I need to say thank you to my team.”

Things also felt awkward when she chuckled and said, “I’m not done. What do you mean?” The fans are not all happy with this. A comment literally read, “I can’t stand Carillo. I turn the channel or mute the volume when she is on 😡”.  Safe to say that Mary Carillo at this moment in under a lot of heat from the fans.

Fans angry at Carillo for interrupting Amanda and Aryna Sabalenka

Agreeing with the initial tweet, a user replied, “I agree…Mary Joe or Chris McKendry would handle it so well.” With years of experience from SportsCenter, McKendry transitioned in 2016 to focus exclusively on tennis, hosting ESPN’s Grand Slam coverage, including the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and US Open. Her knowledge and professionalism are insane. And also, since Mary Joe Fernández is a former professional tennis player, her analysis helps viewers better understand tennis strategy and how players improve, which is what viewers love.

But this user might disagree, as he wrote, “They all stink. I can’t think of 1 former player turned commentator that is good. I’d leave it to a true professional.” Carillo also played on the WTA Tour for a brief but impactful three years. During that time, she competed in 110 tour-level matches, finishing with a respectable 56–54 win–loss record. And she is getting a lot of heat.

One comment read, “I tuned out after she cut off Amanda lol she really did it twice?” Another added. Users might forget it once as a mistake, a human error, but doing it again and again, and then with another player as well, it’s just not something anybody is going to be easy on.

One user questioned the US Open itself, saying, “If I remember correctly, USO is the only one where they don’t allow speech, they interview. Which is already awful by design. Let the players speak freely. Even Amanda had to say wait I am not done here. So yes, they need to remove the interview design and let the players speak.”

At Wimbledon, Roland Garros, and the Australian Open, both the runner-up and the champion are typically handed the mic to deliver an uninterrupted speech.  At the US Open, the format is more of a Q&A interview style with the host. What do you think should speeches be allowed in the US Open as well?