The claim that Aryna Sabalenka was banned from Wimbledon due to an “out of control” incident appears to stem from a misleading headline by *Express.co.uk* (July 10, 2025), suggesting a specific behavioral issue. However, the ban was not due to any personal misconduct by Sabalenka. In 2022, the All England Lawn Tennis Club banned all Russian and Belarusian players from Wimbledon due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with Belarus as a key ally, per *Express.co.uk* and *The Age*. Sabalenka, a Belarusian, was among those excluded, alongside players like Daniil Medvedev and Victoria Azarenka, per *Tennis World USA*.
Sabalenka expressed frustration over the decision, stating, “I’m just really disappointed sport is somehow in politics. We’re just athletes playing their sport… They banned us from Wimbledon, and what did it change? Nothing,” per *The Age*. She highlighted the emotional toll, noting she missed the “super amazing” Wimbledon atmosphere, per *Mirror Online*. The ban, which also stripped Wimbledon of ranking points by the ATP and WTA, drew criticism from the WTA, which called it discriminatory, per *Tennis World USA*. Sabalenka competed under a neutral flag at other 2022 events, like the Australian Open, describing it as feeling “from nowhere,” per *The Age*.
No evidence supports a specific “out of control” incident tied to Sabalenka’s ban. The *Express.co.uk* article likely used the phrase for sensationalism, referring broadly to the geopolitical situation, not her behavior. Sabalenka returned strongly in 2025, reaching the Wimbledon semi-finals with a 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 win over Laura Siegemund on July 8, despite crowd and umpire tensions, per *The Guardian*. Posts on X, like @sangeetapremi (July 4, 2025), contextualized her 2022 absence as part of her career’s ups and downs, per.
