Aryna Sabalenka slams, throws racket after upset by Madison Keys in Australian Open final
A thriller at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena saw American Madison Keys beat first-place women’s singles player Aryna Sabalenka to win the Australian Open on Saturday.
After shaking hands with the winner, Sabalenka let out emotion on the racket.
Sabalenka hopes to become the first player since Martina Hingis to win three games in a row, defeating her 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 Key, which gave the opponent her first Grand Slam title.
Click here for more sports coverage on FoxNews.com
Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus reacts after her women’s singles final match against Madison Keys of the United States at the Australian Open Tennis Championships in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, January 25, 2025 . (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
Sabalenka grabbed Keys’ hand at the net and then the umpire’s chair, but saw her slam her racquet hard and throw it to the bench once Niceties had finished .
Sabalenka then covered her face with a towel and rushed into the locker room.
The heat of the competition may end up being a hard pill to swallow at the moment, and Sabalenka had as much to say in her post-match press conference.
Australian tennis star announces divorce from husband, teases only fan page
“There’s definitely some frustration because I’m so close to accomplishing crazy things,” she said. “When you’re out there, you’re fighting, but everything (doesn’t) seem to go the way you really want (it) to go.”
Sabalenka added that she “eventually just needs to throw out those negative feelings,” and she took that to Wilson’s racket literally. She said she needed to do it “so I could give a speech (and) be disrespectful.”
“I just want it to be a good person,” Sabalenka said.
Showing raw emotion seemed to work, as Sabalenka joked with her team after the loss.
MELBOURNE, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA: Aryna Sabalenka speaks with Spain’s Paula Badosa during her match against Spain’s Paula Badosa during their semi-final match at the 2025 Australian Open at Melbourne Park. (Mike Frey-Imagn image)
“As always, it’s your fault,” she said, laughing. “I don’t want to see you next week. I really hate you. No, thank you for being there for me and blah, blah, blah.”
However, Sabalenka returned with a serious note, which was directed at the key.
“I think we tried our best,” Sabalenka said. “Just Madison was unbelievable. There was nothing I could do in this game. Next time I play Madison, I bring Better tennis.”
As for the keys, she also showed love to Sabalenka, saying it was her “incredible playing.” She also noted that at age 29, she never thought she’d win a Grand Slam, despite coming close in the past.
“From a young age, I felt like if I never won a Grand Slam, then I wasn’t living up to what people thought I was supposed to be. That was a very heavy burden to carry,” Keys said.
Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus reacts during the women’s singles final against Madison Keys of the United States at the Australian Open Tennis Championships in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, January 25, 2025 . (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
Click here to get the Fox News app
“So, I finally got to the point where I was proud of myself and proud of my career, with or without the Grand Slams. It felt like I had a good career or that I should be talked about as a great tennis player.
Follow Fox News Digital Sports coverage on Xand subscribe to Fox News Sports Groceries Newsletter.
