Sabalenka on Social Media: She scrolls past her own posts, saying people can be too harsh on us sometimes.

In today's internet era, social media has become an indispensable part of everyone's life. While it provides convenient access to information, it also brings pressure and anxiety to many. In the tennis world, every major loss by a top player sparks heated discussions on social media, ranging from understanding to criticism and doubt. How to handle this external pressure is a headache for many players.

Recently, Belarusian star and world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka addressed this topic in an interview. Sabalenka admitted she occasionally comes across online content about herself, but over time she has developed a self-protection mechanism.

“For some reason, I see far more negative comments about myself than positive ones, so I try not to look closely. Whenever I scroll past my photos or related content, I just swipe away immediately,” Sabalenka said.

The Belarusian player frankly stated that the excessive malice in the online world led her to actively block it out. “Sometimes people are really harsh and unfriendly toward us. I think it’s not worth looking at those things and being affected by them.” Sabalenka’s words reflect the genuine feelings of many top athletes facing social media pressure.

When the reporter later asked Sabalenka about Coco Gauff’s frequent interactions with fans on social media and even adopting some “online coach” suggestions (like approaching the net more), Sabalenka didn’t simply judge but responded with her usual humor.

“If it works for her, then that’s different. We’re all different, right?” she added with a laugh, then joked, “But since it works, thanks for reminding me—now I’ll have to be prepared to defend against her (Gauff) coming to the net anytime during the match!”

This humorous response quickly sparked discussion on social media. Some fans commented, “Sabalenka’s mindset is actually quite mature—she knows what benefits her and what to stay away from.”

Sports psychology experts abroad also commented, noting that top athletes face immense psychological pressure, and negative comments on social media can materially impact their competitive state. Sports psychologist Emily Lopez pointed out, “Sabalenka’s approach is a healthy way of setting psychological boundaries. Athletes aren’t obligated to digest all external evaluations; selectively filtering out negative information often helps them focus more on the game itself.”

Meanwhile, Gauff’s previous interactions with fans on Threads and her public statement that “fan suggestions really helped” have also sparked discussions within and beyond tennis. Supporters believe it shows the openness and affinity of the new generation of players, but some commentators note that over-reliance on external opinions may risk information overload.

Sports commentator James Blake wrote in a column, “Sabalenka and Gauff represent two different approaches to social media—one chooses active blocking, the other chooses open interaction. Neither is right or wrong; the key is whether it suits the individual’s personality and competitive needs.”

In online comments, the contrast between the two styles became a hot topic. One fan wrote, “Sabalenka scrolls past negative comments, Gauff scrolls past opponents’ tactics—both win on their own tracks.” Another commented, “Sabalenka is right; the internet can be too harsh sometimes. Athletes are human too; they don’t need to see every nasty comment.”

Their截然不同的社交媒体哲学也为外界提供了另一重有趣的观察视角。其实，对于网络上的一些负面评价，真的没必要太多地去在意，把故事讲给懂你的人来听，把精力放在爱你的人身上，这远比和别人“精神对峙”重要，生命不应该被别人消费，而真正时刻都去享受与精神自我的共处。当然，如果你足够有勇气，可以直面一切的话也可以，不过，但愿每个人都能读懂你。(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Lu Xiaotian)