“The Americans really despise Aryna Sabalenka” – Fans slam ‘disrespectful’ Wimbledon promo ft. Coco Gauff, Madison Keys
Tennis fans erupted in outrage over a Wimbledon 2025 promotional video released by ESPN on June 24, 2025, accusing the American broadcaster of disrespecting World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka by giving her minimal screen time while prominently featuring Coco Gauff, Madison Keys, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Novak Djokovic. The backlash, amplified on X, saw fans claim, “The Americans really despise Aryna Sabalenka,” pointing to perceived bias against the Belarusian star as she prepares for the grass-court Grand Slam starting June 30, 2025.[](https://www.sportskeeda.com/tennis/news-the-americans-really-despise-aryna-sabalenka-fans-slam-disrespectful-wimbledon-promo-ft-coco-gauff-madison-keys)
The promo, hyping the third major of the 2025 season, showcased title favorites but allocated Sabalenka a mere “half-second shot,” as one fan noted on X, calling it “mad disrespectful.” Another fumed, “No call out for the WTA world number one Aryna Sabalenka?? Just a 0.5 second feature? Nah she has to win this tournament, streets really don’t rate her.” The sentiment was echoed widely, with comments like, “.001 second of Sabalenka the literal world number 1 😭,” highlighting frustration over her brief appearance compared to extended coverage for Gauff, the World No. 2 and French Open champion, and Keys, the Australian Open 2025 winner. Some fans also noted the absence of 2022 champion Elena Rybakina, with one joking, “Wimbledon is a huge fan of Coco Gauff.”[](https://www.sportskeeda.com/tennis/news-the-americans-really-despise-aryna-sabalenka-fans-slam-disrespectful-wimbledon-promo-ft-coco-gauff-madison-keys)
The controversy follows Sabalenka’s fraught history with American audiences, particularly after her French Open final loss to Gauff on June 7, 2025. Her post-match comments, where she attributed her 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4 defeat to 70 unforced errors rather than Gauff’s play, drew heavy criticism. Sabalenka later apologized privately to Gauff and publicly via Instagram, admitting her remarks were “completely unprofessional” and praising Gauff’s poise. Despite the apology, some fans perceive lingering tension, with one X post stating, “Oh the Americans really despise Sabalenka. Not mentioning the world number 1 is wild.”[](https://people.com/aryna-sabalenka-apologized-to-coco-gauff-for-unprofessional-comments-11756613)[](https://www.sportskeeda.com/tennis/news-the-americans-really-despise-aryna-sabalenka-fans-slam-disrespectful-wimbledon-promo-ft-coco-gauff-madison-keys)
Sabalenka, a three-time Grand Slam champion (2023 and 2024 Australian Open, 2024 US Open), enters Wimbledon as the top seed and betting favorite, boasting a 42-8 season record and two semifinal appearances at SW19 (2021, 2023). Her powerful serve and baseline game suit grass, yet her limited promo exposure has fueled speculation of bias, possibly tied to her Belarusian nationality amid geopolitical sensitivities or her past comments. Gauff, who leads their head-to-head 6-5, and Keys, who defeated Sabalenka in the 2025 Australian Open final, are also strong contenders, but fans argue Sabalenka’s ranking and form deserved equal spotlight.[](https://www.tennis365.com/tennis-features/5-wimbledon-womens-singles-title-favourites-2025)
As Sabalenka begins her grass campaign at the Berlin Open, where she lost to Marketa Vondrousova in the semifinals, the promo snub has motivated her supporters. “She’s got to silence the haters at Wimbledon,” one fan wrote on X, reflecting the sentiment that a title run could counter the perceived disrespect.
