MusaTennis fans are not having it—and this time, it’s the Cincinnati Open feeling the heat. In what’s quickly spiraled into an online firestorm, loyal supporters of Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka are fuming over what they’re calling a blatant “snub” of the reigning champions. The reason? The tournament’s recent promotional blitz all but ignored the two stars who actually lifted the trophies last year. And fans are not letting it slide.
While the Cincinnati Open has been rolling out sleek graphics and star-studded highlight reels featuring big names like Novak Djokovic, Iga Swiatek, and Carlos Alcaraz, many noticed a glaring omission: no prominent mention—or even acknowledgment—of 2023 champions Sinner and Sabalenka. The Italian and Belarusian fanbases quickly took to social media, crying foul over what they see as a disrespectful erasure of their faves.
“Sick of this propaganda,” one user wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “You can’t just pretend Jannik didn’t destroy the field last year. Show some respect.”
Another Sabalenka supporter posted, “She’s a Slam champ, defending your title, and still not worth a mention? What are we doing?”
Some fans speculate that off-court politics, media bias, or internal WTA-ATP dynamics may be at play. Others see it as yet another case of tournaments cherry-picking narratives for clicks and marketing over honoring the actual sport’s achievements. Whatever the reason, the backlash is loud, and it’s not dying down.
Sinner, who’s quietly built a powerhouse reputation with consistency and class, and Sabalenka, the thunderbolt-armed World No. 2 and Australian Open champ, are hardly obscure figures. Both have huge fanbases and solid track records, so the oversight feels particularly jarring—and intentional—to their followers.
Adding fuel to the fire, neither the Cincinnati Open nor tournament sponsors have issued any public clarification or attempted to address the mounting criticism. That silence? Only making things worse.
The situation raises an uncomfortable question: is tennis becoming more about marketable faces than actual merit? For fans of Sinner and Sabalenka, the message seems clear—they’re tired of being sidelined and want the tennis world to stop rewriting the script.
As the tournament approaches, all eyes will be on how organizers respond. But one thing’s certain: if the goal was to create buzz, mission accomplished—just not the kind they wanted.
Musa
dam