Aryna Sabalenka, the world number one and two-time defending champion, faced a heartbreaking defeat at the Australian Open final as Madison Keys claimed her first Grand Slam title with a 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 victory.
Sabalenka had been favored to win and was aiming for an unprecedented third consecutive Melbourne Park title, a feat not achieved by a woman in 26 years.
Despite the disappointment, the Belarusian star, who is also the reigning US Open champion, expressed pride in reaching her third straight Australian Open final. “I think when you get to the point of finals, it’s trophy or nothing.
Nobody remembers the (losing) finalist,” Sabalenka said, reflecting on her focus for titles at this stage in her career. “At this point, I go for titles, but of course I have to be anyway proud of myself with three finals in a row. That’s something crazy.”
Sabalenka acknowledged the tough challenge posed by Keys, describing her opponent as “super aggressive” in the first set and playing with “nothing to lose” as the match progressed.
Sabalenka admitted that controlling her emotions had been difficult after such a hard-fought battle. In the heat of the moment, she smashed her racquet and buried her face in a towel, frustrated after her 20-match win streak at Melbourne Park came to an end at the most crucial point.
“There definitely was a bit of frustration because I was so close to achieving something crazy,” Sabalenka reflected. “When you’re out there, you’re fighting, but it seems like everything is going not the way you really want to go.”
Despite the intense emotions, Sabalenka made sure to compose herself for the post-match speech.
“I just needed to throw those negative emotions at the end just so I could give a speech, not stand there being disrespectful,” she said, showing grace in defeat.
Sabalenka’s journey in Melbourne was historic, but the title eluded her this time. Nonetheless, she vowed to return stronger next year: “I hope that next year I’ll come back as a better player and I’ll hold Daphne (the trophy) one more time.”
