Sabalenka struggles with emotions after US Open final loss

Aryna Sabalenka cut a forlorn figure as she sat staring into space following a painful defeat by Elena Rybakina in the US Open final. Rybakina celebrated her third Grand Slam title after a 6-4 5-7 6-2 victory in New York, while cameras captured Sabalenka deep in thought with her team. The disappointment for the 28-year-old was significant, as she faced a challenging week. Rybakina replaced Sabalenka as the world number one after 99 weeks at the top, ending Sabalenka's 20-match winning streak at Flushing Meadows. This defeat also meant that Sabalenka would finish the year without a Grand Slam title for the first time since 2022.

Throughout the final, Sabalenka faced a composed Rybakina who delivered an outstanding performance. Her frustrations became evident; she slammed her racquet to the ground after conceding a break point to Rybakina in the second set. Following the conclusion of the match, Sabalenka threw her racquet in disgust before congratulating her opponent. As Rybakina waved to the crowd, Sabalenka sat on her chair and smashed another racquet against the floor. Immediately after the defeat, she expressed her anger to a cameraperson, using an expletive in her remarks.

"It's really tough to control your emotions when you lose in the final of the Grand Slam and when you were trying to go for three-peat," said Sabalenka afterwards. "So I just wanted to let it go, because if I would hold it inside, right now or here or there on the court, I wouldn't be able to say a word or I would just go not really nice over there."

Sabalenka, who has shown vocal emotion during matches in the past, has often channeled her feelings positively into her game. However, according to former British number one Annabel Croft, those emotions contributed to her struggles against Rybakina. Croft noted that Sabalenka's negative body language during the first set hindered her performance.

"I felt like that really contributed to her going down in that first set," Croft said on BBC Radio 5 Live. "She was beating herself."

Sabalenka held back tears during her post-match interview when praising Rybakina's performance. Croft opined that for Sabalenka to improve, she needs to respect her opponents and adapt her game accordingly. Sabalenka has put significant pressure on herself during major finals; out of her nine Grand Slam singles finals, she has won four and only one out of four as the world number one.

In 2025, after defending her US Open crown, Sabalenka targeted further Grand Slam success in 2026. However, she lost a tight three-set final at the Australian Open to Rybakina and faced early exits at the French Open and Wimbledon. Despite winning three WTA titles this year, including in Brisbane, Indian Wells, and the Miami Open, she fell short against Rybakina in the hard-court majors.

"I think overall I should be happy with the level I played, and there are lots of things to take from this tournament," Sabalenka stated. "Experience shows that I only come back stronger, and all of these lessons this season definitely already made me stronger, but definitely going to motivate me for the next year to do a better job."