In a thriller at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena, American Madison Keys upset Aryna Sabalenka, the No. 1 women’s singles player, to take the win. Australian Open on Saturday.
After shaking hands with the victor, Sabalenka unleashed her emotions on her racket.
Sabalenka, seeking to become the first player since Martina Hingis to win three consecutive Australian Opens, fell to Keys 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 to give her opponent her first-ever win. Grand Slam title.
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Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus reacts after the women’s singles final against Madison Keys of the USA at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, January 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
Sabalenka shook Keys’ hand at the net, followed by the chair umpire, but she was seen slamming her racket and throwing it at the bench once the pleasantries ended.
Sabalenka then covered her face with a towel before storming into the locker room.
The heat of competition ultimately not going your way can be hard to stomach at the moment, and Sabalenka said this during his post-match press conference.
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“There was definitely a little bit of frustration because I was so close to achieving something crazy,” she said per The New York Post. “When you’re out there, you’re fighting, but it seems like everything (isn’t) going the way you really want.”
Sabalenka added that she “just had to let go of those negative emotions at the end,” and she literally did so with her Wilson racket. She said she had to do that “so I could give a speech (and) not stand there disrespectfully.”
“I just tried to let it go and be a good person,” Sabalenka said.
Taking out the raw emotion seemed to work, as Sabalenka joked with her team after the loss.
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia: Aryna Sabalenka interviews after her match against Paula Badosa of Spain in the women’s singles semifinals at the 2025 Australian Open at Melbourne Park. (Mike Frey-Imagn images)
“As always, it’s your fault, guys,” she said, laughing. “I don’t want to see you for the next week. I really hate you. No, thanks for everything you do for me and blah, blah, blah.”
However, Sabalenka came back on a serious note and addressed Keys.
“I think we did our best,” Sabalenka said. “Just Madison played unbelievable. I just couldn’t do anything in this match. The next time I play against Madison, I’ll bring better tennis.”
As for Keys, she also showed love to Sabalenka, saying it was “incredible play” on her part. She also noted at the age of 29 that she never thought she would win a Grand Slam, despite coming close in the past.
“From a young age, I felt that if I had never won a Grand Slam, I wouldn’t have lived up to what people thought I should have been. That was a pretty heavy burden to carry,” Keys said. .
Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus reacts during the women’s singles final against Madison Keys of the USA at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, January 25, 2025. (AP photo/by Han Guan)
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“So I finally got to the point where I was proud of myself and proud of my career, with or without the Grand Slam. I finally got to the point where I was okay with it not happening. I didn’t need to feel to be told that I had a good career or that I should be talked about as a great tennis player.
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