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A thriller at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena saw American Madison Keys upset No. 1 women’s singles player Aryna Sabalenka to win Australian Open on Saturday.
After shaking hands with the winner, Sabalenka let her emotions out on her racket.
Sabalenka, seeking to become the first player since Martina Hingis to win three straight Australian Opens, fell to Keys, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5, giving her opponent her first ever Grand Slam title.
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Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus reacts after the women’s singles final against Madison Keys of the United States at the Australian Open Tennis Championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
Sabalenka slammed Keys’ hand into the net and followed the umpire’s chair, but was seen slamming the racket and throwing it to the bench after the beauties were finished.
Sabalenka then covered her face with a towel before entering the dressing room.
The heat of the competition doesn’t end up getting in the way of a tough moment to swallow, and Sabalenka said as much during her post-match press conference.
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“There was definitely a little bit of frustration, because I was so close to accomplishing something crazy,” she said, according to New York Post. “When you’re out there, you’re fighting, but everything (doesn’t) seem to go the way you really want (it) to go.”
Sabalenka added that she “just needed to throw away those negative emotions at the end”, and she did so literally on her Wilson racket. She said she needed to do it “so I could give a speech (and) not stand there disrespecting.”
“I was just trying to let it go and be a good person,” Sabalenka said.
Bringing out the raw emotion seemed to work, as Sabalenka was seen joking with her team after the loss.
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia: Aryna Sabalenka is interviewed after her match against Paul Bados of Spain in the Australian Open 2025 women’s singles semi-final at Melbourne Park. (Mike Frey-Hagn photos)
“As always, it’s your fault guys,” she said, laughing. “I don’t want to see you next week. I really hate you. No thanks for everything you do for me and blah, blah, blah.”
Sabalenka, however, returned to a serious note, addressing the keys.
“I think we did our best,” said Sabalenka. “Only Madison played amazing. I just couldn’t do anything in this match. Next time I play against Madison, I bring better tennis.”
As for Keys, she also showed love to Sabalenka, saying it was “amazing playing” 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 pretty young age, I felt like I’d never won a Grand Slam, and I wouldn’t live up to what people thought I should be. That was a pretty heavy burden to kind of carry,” Keys Keys said.
Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus reacts during the women’s singles final against Madison Keys of the United States at the Australian Open Tennis Championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/by Han Guan)
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“So I finally got to a point where I was proud of myself and proud of my career, with or without a Grand Slam. I finally got to a point where I was okay with it not happening. I didn’t need it. Yes I would feel like I had a good career or that I deserved to be called a great tennis player.
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