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Sabalenka smashes racquet in on-court meltdown after Australian Open final defeat, walks off before closing ceremony

Jan 25, 2025 05:46 PM IST

Aryna Sabalenka was left shellshocked after her defeat against Madison Keys at the Australian Open final, on Saturday.

Madison Keys was in sensational form as she defeated Aryna Sabalenka in the women's singles final of the ongoing Australian Open 2025, in Melbourne on Saturday. The American, who was in her second Grand Slam final, began on a strong note as she won the first set with ease, sealing it 6-3. But then Sabalenka stepped up to secure the second set, 6-2, forcing out a decider.

Aryna Sabalenka reacts after her defeat vs Madison Keys.
Aryna Sabalenka reacts after her defeat vs Madison Keys.

In the deciding set, the match went down the wire as Keys reigned supreme with a 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 victory at the Rod Laver Arena. After her win, Keys was in total euphoria and was in tears, as she got congratulated by her coaching staff, including her husband.

Also Read: Madison Keys denies Aryna Sabalenka three-peat at Australian Open, beats world no.1 to win maiden Grand Slam title

Aryna Sabalenka shellshocked

But defending champion Sabalenka was shellshocked, as she failed to match Martina Hingis’ record of three consecutive AUS Open titles. Then instead of remaining on the court to congratulate Keys, a disappointed Sabalenka sat down on her chair with her towel over her head and then walked off before the closing ceremony. She also didn't congratulate Keys. She also smashed her racquet. But the World No. 1 did return for the ceremony, collected her runners-up trophy and also paid tribute to Keys.

The Belarusian did something similar after her US Open final defeat, when she was seen smashing her racquet backstage.

Speaking during the closing ceremony, Sabalenka also had a message for her coaching staff. “Should I say anything to my team? As always, that's your fault guys. I don't want to see you for the next week. I really hate you. No, thank you so much for everything you do for me and blah blah blah. I think we did our best, just Madison was playing incredible. Anyway, I love you. Even though we lost,” she said.

Meanwhile, Keys said, “I have wanted this for so long and I have been in a grand slam final, it did not go my way. I didn't know if I was going to be able to get back to this position to try and win a trophy again and my team believed in me every step of the way so thank you so much. They believed in me when I didn't believe in myself and helped me every step of the way. Last year was so tough with some really bad injuries and I didn't know if I was going to be able to do it again and to be here and have this trophy and also be able to do it with my husband, who is kind of dazed and confused over there. I love you all so much and I cannot wait for more.”

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Stay updated with the latest sports news, including latest headlines and updates from the Olympics 2024, where Indian athletes will compete for glory in Paris. Catch all the action from tennis Grand Slam tournaments, follow your favourite football teams and players with the latest match results, and get the latest on international hockey tournaments and series.
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