Aryna Sabalenka shrieks her way to victory over Naomi Osaka

In the battle of the World No. 1 WTA players, past and present, Aryna Sabalenka prevailed at Monday’s Round of 16 Mutua Madrid Open match in three sets. Naomi Osaka came out firing and playing at an extremely high level, winning a first set tiebreak.

However, Sabalenka, who only has one loss this year to Elena Rybakina at the Australian Open, shrieked her way to outstanding shotmaking and smart play to win the match.

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Was Sabalenka’s shriek louder than usual?

Maybe it was my television or my hearing, but I found Sabalenka’s shrieking louder than normal. It is her trademark yet it is barely discussed in the modern game.

Maria Sharapova also was audible in her shotmaking and fiercely criticized for it in her era. Sharapova took a lot of heat for it throughout her career.

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Can opponents tune out the ferocious sounds?

Are players accustomed to Sabalenka’s loud shrieks as she makes her shots?

Or can it be a distraction for them? If it is loud on television, it must be deafening on court.

The World No. 1 has so much talent that I often wonder if at this stage in her career, she could tame the sounds. It has become part of who she is and what she does, but it can be loud and distracting to fans.

Sabalenka advances to play Hailey Baptiste who continued her Mutua Madrid Open career-defining run with a Round of 16 win over Belinda Bencic.