While Rybakina’s breakthrough triumph understandably dominated the headlines, it was some of Sabalenka’s raw post-match reactions that caught the attention of tennis fans on social media. The Belarusian was visibly devastated after seeing her bid for a historic three-peat slip away, with several emotional moments quickly going viral on X.
From smashing her racket in frustration to telling a cameraman to leave her alone in the immediate aftermath, Sabalenka gave an unfiltered glimpse of just how much the defeat had affected her before later delivering an emotional and unexpectedly funny on-court speech.
Sabalenka’s racket-smashing moment goes viral
Aryna Sabalenka struggled to contain her emotions after losing the US Open final to Elena Rybakina, with the two-time defending champion seen destroying her racket in frustration.
Sabalenka waves away cameraman after painful defeat
Still visibly frustrated after the loss, Sabalenka was approached by a cameraman while sitting in her courtside box. The Belarusian appeared to tell them to move away and stop focusing on her as she tried to process the defeat.
Sabalenka delivers emotional and funny speech after defeat
Sabalenka struggled to hold back her emotions during her on-court speech, admitting that giving a speech was the last thing she wanted to do after the painful defeat.
But she still managed to congratulate Rybakina before ending on a light-hearted note, joking that she hoped to win some titles herself before the season is over.