- Gaffe happened in coverage of the women’s final at Melbourne Park
US tennis great Chris Evert has made an unfortunate on-air gaffe reporting on the Australian Open, referring to beaten women’s finalist Aryna Sabalenka as pop star Ariana Grande.
Elena Rybakina finally won her second Grand Slam title with a victory over top-ranked Sabalenka at the Australian Open on Saturday.
After a rocky start to 2025, including the suspension of her coach, Rybakina finished off last year with a title at the WTA Finals in November. And now she has started the new year with a major championship.
The low-key celebration mirrored her quiet run: a small fist pump, a quick embrace, a nod to the umpire and a modest wave to the crowd.
Evert began talking about Rybakina and the criticism she cops for not showing emotion on the court.
‘The first time she won a major at Wimbledon, it was very businesslike and there was really no emotion,’ she said.
US tennis champion Chris Evert made the slip of the tongue commentating at the Australian Open on the women’s final
Aryna Sabalenka was not happy after the world No.1 lost the Australian Open final to Elena Rybakina
Ariana Grande did not have anything to do with the Australian Open and was not in the final
‘She really looks like she was so happy, so joyful, and allowed herself to have some emotions there and it was really nice to see.’
But her commentary quickly took a u-turn, as she struggled to say Sabalenka’s name correctly.
‘But listen, Ariana, Aryna, Ariana Grande,’ Evert said, stumbling over her words.
‘Aryna Sabalenka is used to having every match on her racket,’ she continued, recovering. And she finally came up against an opponent who plays the same way.’
But her gaffe didn’t go unnoticed by tennis fans.
‘Did Chris Evert really call Aryna Sabalenka, Ariana Grande?’ one viewer asked.
‘No, she was kidding after she mispronounced Aryna’s first name,’ clarified another.
‘Oh, I thought it was gonna be a total slip-up. That was a pretty funny little bit of self-deprecation,’ added another.
Elena Rybakina shocked Sabalenka to claim her second career Grand Slam trophy in Melbourne
Rybakina closed with an ace to cap a third-set comeback and a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 win over a regular rival who beat her in the final here in 2023.
‘The heart rate was definitely beating too fast. Even maybe (my) face didn’t show, but inside it was a lot of emotions,’ the 26-year-old Rybakina, who was born in Moscow but represents Kazakhstan, said of her calm and clinical finish.
She knew she had to capitalize quickly this time, after she admitted getting tight and needing almost a half-hour from her first match point to her match-winning point in a semifinal win over Jessica Pegula.
Sabalenka, champion in 2023 and 2024, threw everything at Rybakina but still came up short.
‘I was 3-0 [in the third set]. I lost my focus and it was 3-4,’ she said after the final.
‘She did a better job in handling that pressure moment, that’s for sure.
‘Maybe I should have tried to be more aggressive on my serve, knowing that I have a break and put pressure on her,’ Sabalenka said.
‘But she played incredible. She made some winners. I made couple of unforced errors.
‘Of course, I have regrets … you lead 3-0 and then it felt like in few seconds it was 3-4 and I was down a break.
‘So it was very fast. Great tennis from her. Maybe not so smart for me.’