WATCH: Pen-clicking moderator proves Aryna Sabalenka’s chief rival at 2023 US Open

Sabalenka stopped her post-match press conference for a second year in a row after moderator Gary Sussman’s nervous habit proved too distracting after her quarterfinal victory in Flushing.

ByDavid Kane

Published Sep 07, 2023

Paint with Aryna Sabalenka

WATCH: Paint with Aryna Sabalenka

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NEW YORK—Not much has managed to break Aryna Sabalenka’s concentration through her 2023 US Open campaign, one that has already clinched her the No. 1 ranking following the conclusion of the tournament.

But as US Open moderator Gary Sussman learned, pen-clicking remains a pet peeve for the No. 2 seed, who interrupted her own press conference upon hearing the sound.

“Are you testing me?” laughed Sabalenka, who was fresh off wining her second match since clinching the No. 1 ranking on Monday.

It was almost exactly one year ago that Sabalenka revealed her contempt for the clicking after her 2022 US Open quarterfinal win over Karolina Pliskova, jokingly reaching for the offending pen that had disrupted her train of thought.

“Can I please ask you to stop doing this with the pen?” she said.

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A year later, Sabalenka insists it’s no longer an issue, even encouraging Sussman to resume clicking after thinking he was doing a bit.

“It’s not annoying me. I’m older, I’m not getting annoyed by this!” said Sabalenka, now 25 years old.

Though she may not be No. 1 quite yet, it’s clear what she says goes: the clicking stopped.

But it begs the question: should semifinal opponent Madison Keys bring racquets to their Thursday-evening encounter, or swap them out for a few mechanical pens?