Aryna Sabalenka Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/Geoff Burke
By Qwame Skinner on

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Aryna Sabalenka entered Saturday’s U.S. Open final against Elena Rybakina looking to threepeat, but ultimately fell short as Rybakina won 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 (3), taking both the U.S. Open title and the WTA world No. 1 ranking from Sabalenka.

Sabalenka, who has had a somewhat frustrating tournament, let everything boil over in the moments after losing, spiking her racket and smashing it against the court when she returned to her bench.

A camera panned around her in the aftermath of the emotional display, and the four-time Grand Slam winner promptly told it to “f*ck off.”

After heading to the locker room to collect herself, Sabalenka returned to Arthur Ashe Stadium and delivered a teary-eyed runner-up speech and even tried to bring some levity to the situation.

“That’s the last thing I want to do right now is give a speech, but I’ll try my very best,” she started.

“Thank you for your support throughout the two weeks,” she told the crowd. “It was amazing playing in front of you all. “Obviously, I’m disappointed but I want to congratulate Elena on an incredible year and incredible results. Well deserved. Enjoy it. Have fun tonight, tomorrow, and until the end of the season so I can win some titles… I wish I could have performed a little bit better, but I guess next year. Thank you.”

In her post-match press conference, Sabalenka explained the necessity of smashing her racket and the emotional release it allowed her.

“It is really tough when you lose in the final of the Grand Slam and when you are trying to go for a three-peat,” she explained. “I wanted to let it go because if I tried to keep it inside right now or on the court, I would not be able to say a word. Or I would just go not really nice. I just wanted to get all that aggression and disappointment to go.”

After a French Open quarterfinal loss in June, Sabalenka told the media, “I just want to quit tennis right now, but we’ll see.”

This time, however, she’s embracing the tough result and how the experience will fuel her moving forward

“There is lots of things to take from this tournament,” she concluded. “Experience shows that I only come back stronger, and all of these lessons this season have already made me stronger, but definitely for next year they are going to motivate me to do a better job.”

About Qwame Skinner

Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.

View all posts by Qwame Skinner