Aryna Sabalenka has defended herself against accusations of hypocrisy after stepping onto court at the French Open wearing jewellery reportedly worth more than £76,000 just days after demanding increased prize money for players.
The world No 1 cruised into the second round at Roland Garros with a straight-sets victory over Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, winning 6-4, 6-2 in Paris.
But alongside her tennis, attention quickly turned towards the extravagant jewellery worn by the Belarusian during the match.
Sabalenka sported two luxury necklaces and matching earrings created by New York-based designer Material Good, featuring a combination of diamonds and garnets.
The jewellery collection reportedly included 15.6 carats of diamonds and 136.5 carats of garnets, with the overall value estimated at roughly £76,000.
That figure is believed to be £1,000 higher than the prize money Bouzas Maneiro received for her first-round defeat.
The issue attracted further scrutiny given Sabalenka had recently joined several of tennis’ biggest stars in lobbying tournament organisers for a greater percentage of Grand Slam revenues.
The four-time Grand Slam champion was among 20 leading players pushing for competitors to receive 22 per cent of French Open revenues rather than the current 15 per cent share.
Aryna Sabalenka has defended herself against accusations of hypocrisy after stepping onto court at the French Open wearing jewellery reportedly worth more than £76,000 just days after demanding increased prize money for players | GETTY
The world No 1 cruised into the second round at Roland Garros with a straight-sets victory over Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, winning 6-4, 6-2 in Paris
|GETTY
Players are reportedly seeking an additional £25million to be distributed across the tournament.
Sabalenka had also worn the same jewellery during a pre-tournament press conference, which she ended after just 15 minutes amid growing tensions surrounding the prize money debate.
However, the Belarusian strongly rejected suggestions there was any contradiction between her lavish accessories and her public stance on player earnings.
“I don't really see how it can be possible to cross these two completely different worlds,” Sabalenka said. “As I said before, the prize money, it's not about me at all.
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“It's just fighting for players, lower-ranked players who are really struggling to survive in this tennis world.”
Sabalenka insisted her campaign for increased financial rewards is aimed at helping lower-ranked players and those attempting to rebuild their careers after injuries.
“It has nothing to do with me that I'm fighting for the prize money,” she continued. “Everyone knows that I'm okay.
“It's just that we are fighting for fair percentage out of the revenues, and also for the lower-ranked players, players coming back after injuries, next generation to be more comfortable coming into the top 10.
“It’s not about me.”
The current French Open prize fund stands at approximately £53million, with both singles champions set to receive around £2.4million.
Sabalenka herself has already surpassed Serena Williams’ previous women’s record of roughly £9.2m from 2013 with a total of £11m.
The jewellery worn by the Belarusian could reportedly become even more expensive if she decides to add a third matching necklace from the same collection.
Aryna Sabalenka is bidding to win the French Open for the first time this summer
| REUTERSThat additional piece is believed to be worth around £34,000 and contains a further 8.6 carats of diamonds alongside 81.6 carats of garnets.
Sabalenka joked after her opening-round win that adding the extra necklace would have been “too much”.
She also revealed her fiance, entrepreneur Georgios Frangulis, has effectively taken on security duties during the tournament.
“He’s kind of like my security,” she smiled. “I have my team.
“I have Jason (Stacy, her performance coach) and my physio who does Jujitsu, so I feel pretty secure walking around.
“If I go somewhere, I don't go alone.”