Aryna Sabalenka caught in sexism storm as Wimbledon icon slams article on world No.1

World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka has been dragged into a sexism storm amid her quest to conquer Wimbledon.

Sabalenka has been outstanding, not dropping a set at SW19 on her run to the last eight and is clear favourite to win this year’s tournament with all of her main rivals having already fallen. The 27-year-old is big favourite to win the tournament, having reached both the final of the Australian Open and French Open earlier this year.

She is making up for lost time at the All England Club, having been forced to pull out just hours before her first round match last year, due to injury and defeated Emma Raducanu in this year's third round.

At the start of this month, the Wall Street Journal ran an article headlined: ‘The World No.1 who hits so hard she practices against men’.

In the article, it declares Sabalenka “needed practice partners who could live with her blistering groundstrokes”. It also asserts she duly opts to his with the best players on the men’s circuit.

READ MORE: Tim Henman hits out at Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper over major Wimbledon controversy

READ MORE: Wimbledon champion angrily hits out after landing biggest fine of the tournament

It’s no secret she frequently practices with the likes of Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner - as do a number of players on the female circuit. And she told the WSJ: “Hitting with the guys, it’s another level of intensity. When you see, on that side, someone like Jannik or Novak, you learn from them.

“You reflect what they do on court. You play with them…and you see the difference. It’s really helped my tennis.”

However, one excerpt reads: an excerpt from the article reads: “The 27-year-old Sabalenka now crushes the ball so forcefully that she needs new practice partners.

"And, as it turns out, the right players for the job happen to be people she could never face in singles competition. That's because they're men”.

That hasn’t gone down well in some quarters, notably coming under fire from former Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova, who won the title as a 17-year-old in 2004. The five-time Grand Slam winner declared on Instagram: “What is this headline and what is this article. You can do better”.

One comments on the WSJ's instagram post to the article said: "This headline is sooo sexist 'this lady is sooo amazing she can even play with men' wtf!!!! Am I in the twilight zone where people write such articles with no shame"

A second added: "DO BETTER! What is that headline? Terrible reporting on so many levels"

Another made clear: "Most of the women players have male hitting partners, this isn’t uncommon"