Great sportsmanship teaches empathy and Aryna Sabalenka‘s team has an interesting take on it. While their pupil clinched her season’s second Grand Slam title, Sabalenka’s coach is optimistic and respectful towards the Belarusian’s rivals. Taking a dig at one of the US Open incidents this year, Sabalenka’s coach showcases admiration for Iga Swiatek and explains why players should be treated as humans.

Sabalenka’s coaching team had a surprising revelation about the WTA star’s one of the biggest rivals in tennis, Iga Swiatek. Offering an opinion about broadcasting players’ private off-court moments after the match, Sabalenka’s coach Gavin MacMillan highlighted why it is unethical to do so.

After losing the 2024 US Open quarterfinals to Jessica Pegula, Swiatek was emotional when she went back to her locker room. While with her physiotherapist Maciej Ryszczuk, Swiatek expressed her feelings with tears unknown to the fact that millions of people watched her.

Empathizing with the Polish player, MacMillan said, “Believe me, no one respects Świątek more than we do in Aryna’s team. We appreciate everything she does. And then someone shows such a moment. Have you seen the comments under the video? They are terrible, negative. People have no idea what it’s like to go out in front of 25 thousand people and lose an important match. They don’t know what it feels like,” said the experienced coach.

Last year, his pupil Sabalenka went through a similar situation. After losing the final to Coco Gauff at last year’s Slam in New York, Sabalenka went to her locker room and smashed her racquet on the floor. Unknown to her, the whole ordeal was captured through a hidden camera. MacMillan’s statement highlighted how such portrayals create a biased image of the players because the audience hardly has a clue about their mental problems and the surrounding context.

While MacMillan professed his admiration over Iga Swiatek, he also issued a special compliment for Aryna Sabalenka.

Gavin MacMillan believes Aryna Sabalenka has the quality to be a legend

In an interview, MacMillan was asked whether he believes in Sabalenka’s tremendous potential. While the experienced coach referred to the immense pressure that comes with such a dream, he also believed Sabalenka could achieve it. “It all depends on her now. What she decides to do, what path she chooses. Because it will be a huge cost, sacrificing the rest of her life. But if she continues to work as she has in recent months, she can become a legend,” he said.

Gavin MacMillan’s help has offered Sabalenka her career’s greatest form. Now she needs to persist on it, keeping in mind the hectic scheduling of the tournaments. Given that she bagged two Grand Slams this year, she would probably drop this miracle and show she can be a true legacy-bearer of WTA stars like Serena Williams.