Former Australian PM Julia Gillard watches Aryna Sabalenka lose to Amanda Anisimova at Wimbledon
A former prime minister of Australia has been spotted in the Royal Box after top seed Aryna Sabalenka took aim at her rival as she lost her semifinal match at Wimbledon. SEE THE VIDEO.
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Former Australian prime minister Julia Gillard was among some of the top VIPs in the Royal Box who witnessed one of the biggest blow-ups at Wimbledon, when Amanda Anisimova upset top seed Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals.
After Anisimova closed out a game for a 5-2 lead in the third set with a forehand that clipped the top of the net and went over, Sabalenka seemingly questioned her opponent.
“Why didn’t you say sorry?” Sabalenka appeared to ask Anisimova after the two crossed paths on the changeover.
Players will frequently — though not always — put their hand up and apologise to their opponent if they get lucky and a shot bounces over the net after hitting it.
However, it is rare that it becomes an issue between two opponents.
Sabalenka took next two games to put pressure on the American, but Anisimova broke Sabalenka once more to close out the 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 victory.
“I was just trying to chase the ball,” Sabalenka said post-match, per The Tennis Letter.
“She was already celebrating it. I was like ‘I mean, that’s a bit too early.’ She kind of pissed me off like saying, ‘That’s what she does all the time.’
“But I was grateful and thankful that she said that because I was like, it actually helped me to keep fighting. I was like OK, now I’m gonna show you the tennis. I came back because I got really angry in that moment. Probably in the third set I should’ve remembered and probably it would’ve helped. But it is what it is.”
The ESPN broadcast highlighted the exchange, which was seen by Ms Gillard who was in the Royal Box.
Other stars who were there included singer Ellie Goulding, comedian, director and narrator Stephen Fry, former tennis player Bjorn Borg and his wife Patrica, actors Ben Whishaw and David Suchet and comedian Rob Brydon.
“I don’t know if that’s anything more than gamesmanship right there,” play-by-play man Chris Fowler said.
“I’ve never heard a player question that … not everyone says sorry… She’s not a happy camper right now,” analyst and three-time champ Chris Evert said.
The two shared a pleasant exchange at the net afterward and the moment did not distract from the biggest moment of Anisimova’s career. The New Jersey native is now in her first Grand Slam final.
Anisimova went shot for shot with the hard-hitting Sabalenka, who has risen to No. 1 in the world with three Grand Slam titles in 2023 and 2024.
However, Sabalenka is now 0-for-3 in slams this year after losing in the finals of the Australian and French Open.
Sabalenka was also accused of poor sportsmanship after losing to Coco Gauff in the French final, when some felt she did not give the newly crowned clay champ enough credit.
“I think she won the match not because she played incredible; just because I made all of those mistakes,” Sabalenka said after making 70 unforced errors in her loss to Gauff.
Sabalenka later apologized and called her comments “completely unprofessional.”
The two appeared in a TikTok together at the start of Wimbledon to officially bury any bad feelings.
Anisimova will play Iga Swiatek, who dismantled Belinda Bencic in the other semifinal, in the championship match on Saturday.
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Originally published as Former Australian PM Julia Gillard watches Aryna Sabalenka lose to Amanda Anisimova at Wimbledon
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