Aryna Sabalenka's Reaction After Losing Australian Open Final to Elena Rybakina
Aryna Sabalenka's reaction to losing the 2026 Australian Open final has been spotted.
On Saturday, the women's singles event came to a close inside the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia.
The final was contested by world number one Sabalenka and fifth seed Elena Rybakina, which was a repeat of the 2023 final.
Back then, Sabalenka came from one set down to win 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.
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On Saturday, it was a similar pattern, with Rybakina winning the first set 6-4.
Sabalenka won the second set 6-4 but Rybakina came from 3-0 down in the decider to win it 6-4, claiming her first Australian Open title.
After the match, the pair shared an embrace, and while Rybakina celebrated with her team, Sabalenka sat back down on her bench.
The Belarusian was then seen sitting with her towel over her head, presumably wanting a quiet moment by herself away from the camera.
Speaking after the final, Sabalenka said: "Honestly guys I'm really speechless. Congrats to Elena for an incredible run and incredible tennis.
"Let's hope maybe next year will be a better year for me!"
Meanwhile, Rybakina said: "It's hard to find the words but I want to congratulate Aryna. She's had amazing results for a couple of years and I hope we're going to play many more finals together.
"I want to say thank you to you [the crowd] for an incredible atmosphere. Your support kept us going. Thank you everyone who made this tournament possible. It really is the 'Happy Slam', I always enjoy coming here and playing in front of you guys."
She added: "I want to say thank you to my team - without you, it wouldn't be possible. We had a lot of things going on and I'm glad we achieved this result. Hopefully we can keep on going strong this year."
Topics: Tennis, Australian Open
Marcus Chan