Sabalenka, after losing the US Open final: "If Elena continues like this, I'm in trouble"

The press conference of Aryna Sabalenka after losing the 2026 US Open final was announced with such short notice that surely more than one journalist did not make it to the first questions. And that is saying a lot, as the conference lasted barely five minutes.

Frustration, pain, sadness, but above all, a strong desire to disappear as quickly as possible from any place related to the world of tennis. A bit of all this is what Aryna Sabalenka must be feeling right now inside, once again pointed out for letting a Grand Slam final slip away, and, as happened in January, once again against Elena Rybakina. Her last press conference was fleeting, lacking the enthusiasm to speak, and in a hurry to leave the venue.

“I'm not really happy with the level I played today, but she served incredibly. She played very aggressively, magnificent tennis. She was simply the better player than me today,” explained Sabalenka just a few minutes after leaving the court. A painful defeat, but accepted straightforwardly by a champion used to competing in these types of scenarios.

Sabalenka explains why she smashed her racket after losing the final

The frustration was visible during the final, which is why Sabalenka hit a ball into the stands and then threw her racket, a reaction she explained as stemming from the difficulty of accepting a loss of this magnitude. “It's very difficult to control your emotions when you lose a Grand Slam final and when you were trying to win a third consecutive title,” she acknowledged. For her, containing that anger would have been even worse. “I just wanted to let it out because if I had kept it inside, I wouldn't have been able to say a word right now or I would have done something inappropriate on the court,” she pointed out. The Belarusian needed to release the disappointment before she could analyze what happened.

And her analysis was forceful. There was by no means a crisis of confidence, nor was it a matter of experience. “You're overthinking,” she responded when asked if playing so many finals could make the losses hurt more. “I was just out there competing, trying to do the best I could with what I had today. Simply, today wasn't enough.” Sabalenka, however, leaves New York convinced that this setback can become fuel. After a challenging summer, reaching the final again represents a test of character for her. “There are many things to take from this tournament. Experience shows that I always come back stronger,” she stated, before acknowledging that everything she learned this season will motivate her to work even harder for 2027.

Sabalenka begins to see Rybakina as her biggest threat

She also took a moment to focus on Rybakina and a rivalry that is beginning to take on a life of its own. “We have a great rivalry. We played many matches and big finals this season,” she explained. The key for Sabalenka lies particularly in the Kazakh's serve and her ability to take the initiative: “She can come on the court and dominate you, especially on a US Open court, which is super fast. That’s a huge advantage.”

The defeat will also have consequences in the rankings. Sabalenka leaves the world number one spot after holding it for 99 weeks, a figure she described as an “incredible achievement.” She even found space for humor when talking about Rybakina: “We'll see if Elena can beat me at that. If she keeps playing like this, I’m in trouble.” Despite losing the crown, Sabalenka also left New York with the affection of the public. “At one point I felt like, ‘Oh my God, I feel American’,” she joked. She just needed the crown to enjoy that support even more.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Sabalenka, tras perder la final del US Open: “Si Elena sigue así, estoy en problemas”