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World number one female tennis player Aryna Sabalenka has uncovered her secret to letting frustration on the court without getting caught by the referee: cursing in another language.
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Aryna Sabalenka during a match in the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida on March 22, 2026. Photo by Reuters. |
Widely known as one of the most expressive players on the court, the Belarusian star frequently curses during high-pressure moments but consistently avoids penalties, as she uses Portuguese instead of English.
"This is the most beautiful language for cursing, guys," Sabalenka said during a press conference at the Miami Open on March 23, as quoted by Tennis Now. "I love it. And now it’s naturally comes out of my mouth, and yeah. As long as they okay, they like it, I’m good with that."
She jokingly added that now that her secret is out, she might have to find a new way to avoid penalties.
Sabalenka’s connection to the language comes from her romantic life. She is engaged to Brazilian businessman Georgios Frangulis, the CEO of Oakberry and co-owner of French club Le Mans FC. The need to communicate with her fiancé in his native tongue has motivated her to learn the language.
The world number one shared that she has been using the Duolingo app to study Portuguese for 199 consecutive days. However, she admitted with a laugh that while she feels fluent on the app, her mind goes blank when she turns off her phone, except for the swear words.
On the court, Sabalenka remains the queen of the WTA Tour. After a hard-fought victory over Elena Rybakina in the Indian Wells final, the 27-year-old is now aiming to complete the prestigious "Sunshine Double" by winning the Miami Open. If successful, she will become only the fifth woman in history to win both March WTA 1000 tournaments in the same year, joining Steffi Graf, Kim Clijsters, Victoria Azarenka and Iga Swiatek.
Besides her on-court ambitions, Sabalenka also addressed ongoing off-court drama, expressing uncertainty about ever returning to the Dubai Tennis Championships. Her hesitation follows heavy criticism from tournament director Salah Tahlak regarding her withdrawal earlier this year.
In February, Sabalenka withdrew from the WTA 1000 event, citing a minor hip injury and a need to prioritize her health amidst a grueling schedule, before the tension between the U.S., Israel and Iran escalated.
At the time, Tahlak publicly called the late withdrawals of Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek an "unfortunate surprise" and demanded harsher punishments, including deducting ranking points.
"It’s ridiculous," Sabalenka said before the Miami Open, as quoted by The Guardian. "I don’t think he showed himself in the best way possible. For me it’s actually so sad to see that the tournament directors and the tournaments are not protecting us as a player. They just care about their sellings, about their tournament and that’s it. I’m not sure if I ever want to go there after his comment. For me it’s too much."
