Sabalenka Says ‘Trophy Or Nothing’ After Losing Melbourne Final

Sabalenka Says ‘Trophy Or Nothing’ After Losing Melbourne Final

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After losing to Madison Keys in the final match on Saturday, Arianna Sabalenka admitted that she was proud to have won three Australian Open titles in a row. ”

The American 19th seed won 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 to claim her first Grand Slam title, but the two-time defending champion and world number one was favourite to defeat Keys.

It tore Sabalenka’s hopes of becoming the first woman to win a third consecutive Melbourne Park singles title to date into 26 years torpedoed.

Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus reacts to her defeat to Madison Keys of the United States on January 25, 2025, in the Australian Open tennis final match. (Photo by Martin KEEP / AFP) 
Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus watches in a ceremony following her 2-1 defeat to the USA on January 25, 2025, in the Australian Open tennis tournament’s final day fourteen. (Photo by Martin KEEP / AFP) 

“I think when you get to the point of finals, it’s trophy or nothing. Nobody remembers the (losing) finalist,” said the 26-year-old Belarusian, who is the reigning US Open champion.

“I mean, at this point, I go for titles.

However, having won three finals in a row makes me feel proud of myself. That’s something crazy.

I hope to win the trophy again next year and improve as a player. ”

Keys was “super aggressive” in winning the first set and played with “nothing to lose,” according to Sabalenka, who was gracious in his defeat.

However, she acknowledged right away that it had been difficult to control her feelings.

Madison Keys (R) of the USA and Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus (L) take photos after their women’s singles final game on day fourteen of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 25, 2025. (Photo by Martin KEEP / AFP) 
Madison Keys (R) of the USA hugs Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus after winning the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne on January 25, 2025. (Photo by Adrian Dennis / AFP) 

When it was most important, she broke her racquet and buried her head in a towel at Melbourne Park.

I was so close to accomplishing something incredible, she said, and there was definitely some gratification.

“When you’re out there, you’re fighting, but it seems like everything is going not the way you really want to go.

Source: Channels TV

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