Aryna Sabalenka wasn't particularly happy with losing the 2024 Madrid Open, and she let her racket feel it after getting to her bench.
The Belarusian is a very passionate tennis player, and you can see that in just about anything she does on the court. Whether it's the power of her shots or the frequent vocalizations, there is a lot of emotion there.
Obviously, with such a player, errors will never be taken lightly, and this one was particularly troublesome for her. She had match points and wasted them, which obviously added to the intensity.
It was just a charged affair, which Iga Swiatek's reaction to winning it also showed. She dropped on her back, similar to how many players do after winning a Grand Slam.
The tension was boiling high, especially when the third-set tie-break decided the match. After she lost the final point, Sabalenka slowly walked to her bench and then unleashed on her racket.
It was actually quite similar to how she unleashed on her racket following the 2023 US Open loss to Coco Gauff. Still, Sabalenka was back to her smiley self by the time the trophy ceremony commenced.
She was quite complimentary of her opponent and even cracked a few jokes as well. She also tried to stay positive during the post-match press conference, finding the bright side of her loss.
She admitted that she has a birthday to look forward to. She also admitted that losses like the one in the WTA 1000 final, no matter how tough, usually take her about a day to get over.
Expect to see the world no. 2 at the Italian Open in Rome in a couple of days, motivated once again to lift the trophy, as she's yet to add one to her cabinet since winning the Australian Open earlier this year.
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