Serena Williams and Aryna Sabalenka recently met at the grand opening of Casadonna, a luxurious Italian-style beachfront restaurant in Miami.
Serena and Sabalenka are part of a roster of celebrities and influencers from around the world including Victoria Beckham, Camila Cabello and Winnie Harlow.
Serena’s best friend on the WTA Tour, Caroline Wozniacki, is a member of the tennis band and has recently returned to play professionally again.
Casadonna is the latest venture from David Grutman and Noah Tepperberg, two luminaries in the restaurant and nightclub industry who have agreed to collaborate to bring a unique culinary experience with views of Biscayne Bay.
Serena, Sabalenka and Wozniacki were in good spirits and did seem to be talking and laughing. The three of them posed for photos with one of their partners, David Grutman, during the celebrations and shared the photos on their social media accounts.
However, Serena was heavily criticized for cropping Sabalenka out of the photo they took together. Both players posted the same photo on their Instagram accounts, and tennis fans clearly noticed the difference.
The 23-time Grand Slam winner posted a photo from the event that included a photo of herself with husband Alexis Ohanian, Wozniacki and Grutman. One of the photos she shared was obviously edited, and she also cropped out the current WTA No. 1, which didn’t sit well with fans in the comments section.
One fan criticized Serena for going too low, saying: “Where’s Sabalenka? Please don’t go any lower.” Judging from another fan comment, Serena’s editing skills may need some improvement, It read: “On the first photo you can see Elena’s hair.”
Another fan wrote: “Even though you are my big idol, this is rude to Sabalenka.” This move clearly made another follower uncomfortable, who could not understand the American reasoning, he said: “Did you take Sabalenka out of the picture? So rude, such a shame! Not only is she the best player in the world, she is the best player in the world.” Also a great person. shameful. Although that says more about you than it does about her. “
Serena and Sabalenka have only met once on tour, at the 2021 Australian Open, a match Williams won in three sets. The two had a professional relationship, and there was nothing coldly suggestive of a blood relationship between them in that game.