Denied the historic opportunity to complete a hat-trick of US Open titles in the women’s singles final on Saturday, Aryna Sabalenka was expectedly in a bad mood after the defeat. The manner in which the title-decider unfolded was understandably hard for Sabalenka to take, and she let her emotions known on the court. The Belarusian was spotted smashing her racquet after Rybakina secured the championship-winning point. Later, Sabalenka also yelled at a cameraperson who was trying to capture her emotions after the defeat.
Elena Rybakina emerged as the clear winner, beating the defending US Open champion 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 in the decider.
Sabalenka Reflects on Final Defeat and Future Goals
After her recent defeat to Elena Rybakina in the final, Aryna Sabalenka, 28, expressed her determination to return stronger. In a post-match interview, she acknowledged the lessons learned from the tournament.
“I think overall I should be happy with the level I played, and there’s lots of things to take from this tournament,” Sabalenka stated.
She also shared her emotional experience during the match, saying, “It felt amazing. Actually, at some point I felt like, ‘Oh, my God, I feel American.’ I just wish I could, you know, win it and feel the support even more.”
Looking ahead, Sabalenka emphasized her commitment to improving her game, saying, “I’ll just keep working hard and keep improving my tennis, my level. Hopefully I will win some more tournaments.”
On a lighter note, she reacted to the prospect of Rybakina potentially surpassing her achievements, saying, “Ninety-nine? Well, that’s amazing. Let’s see if Elena can beat me in that.”
