Judy Murray has criticised the decision to release footage of Aryna Sabalenka smashing her racket after losing to Coco Gauff in the US Open final.
The Belarusian won the first set against Gauff but went on to lose 2-6 6-3 6-2 at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York on Saturday evening.
After her defeat, cameras inside the warm-up area caught Sabalenka calmly place her bag and runner-up trophy on the floor before she took out her racket and smashed it against the floor. She then disposed of it in a nearby bin.
The footage was shown during the post-match coverage and circulated widely on social media.
Judy Murray, mother of Andy and Jamie, posted on X: ‘This footage should never have been made public.
‘A private moment in an empty training room after the disappointment of losing a Grand Slam final.’
Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen agreed with the statement as he replied: ‘100% CORRECT, Judy.’
The moment was also caught by a separate camera crew, which were believed to be filming for season two of Break Point, the fly-on-the-wall Netflix series about elite tennis.
Sabalenka featured in the first series and that moment of frustration is set to make the cut for the second season.
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‘Sometimes I can get emotional,’ Sabalenka, who won the Australian Open earlier this year, said after her defeat to Gauff.
‘Today on the court, I was overthinking and I was missing quite, like, not easy balls, but the balls I shouldn’t be missing.
‘[The] unforced errors was a lot in the second set, and that’s where I get her [to] believe that she can win this match. I got overemotional after the second set.’
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