AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 25, 2025

Aryna Sabalenka

Press Conference

M. KEYS/A. Sabalenka

6-3, 2-6, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Aryna, it was a terrific match. Not the result you wanted. What do you think made the difference in the end?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Well, yeah, it's definitely not the result I wanted to have. But I don't know, I think she just stepped in and play, like, nothing to lose at the end and was just going for her shots.

At that moment I went in, so was great tennis. She fight throughout the tournament. She had a lot of difficult matches. She fought for it. In the final, she was playing really aggressively.

Yeah, just wasn't my day.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What was feeling different particularly in the first set?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Well, I think she played, like, super aggressive. It seemed like everything was going her way. I was just trying to put the ball back. Couldn't really play my aggressive tennis and didn't feel my serve that well. The return was off.

Then in the second set I kind of got my rhythm back. From the second set, I would say the real tennis match started.

Q. You were obviously quite frustrated at the end, and the racquet felt your frustration. Was that a sign of how much this tournament means to you, or was it particularly the way it quickly went at the end?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Well, I mean, there definitely was a bit of frustration because I was so close to achieve something crazy. When you're out there, you're fighting, but it seems like everything going not the way you really want to go.

I just needed to throw those negative emotions at the end just so I could give a speech, not stand there being disrespectful. I was just trying to let it go and be a good person, be respectful (laughter).

It's okay. I mean, I'm the one who knows that after tough losses, there is good wins. So I'll keep working and make sure that next time, if I'll be in this situation, I'll play definitely better.

Q. When you were playing her, you said her balls were just landing in. Is that what it comes down to? She's going for so much and they just go in and nothing you can do?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I mean, if she can play consistently like that, I mean, it's not much you can do. I mean, of course, I know how to play against her, but in this match I couldn't really do my stuff.

She just play incredible. It seems like she was overhitting everything. The depths of the balls were really crazy. I was trying my best. Obviously didn't work well.

Q. Can you take us into how difficult that is after a moment like that and everyone is watching, you have to stay out there and someone is celebrating a huge moment in their life? Was that why you had to walk off court?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, that was tough. I just needed to kind of, like, needed that time for myself to kind of like switch off and forget and leave it in the best and be respectful, not be - I don't know. Just wanted to be respectful. I just needed to throw those stuff out and needed some time with myself.

Yeah, that's definitely really tough. I was stand there and just was like, Okay, c'mon, you've been in her position. She deserve that. She was better player than you.

Just, you know, it was tough.

Q. You talked about how well Madison played. Do you think there's anything you could have done differently tonight?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Well, maybe I could start a little bit better. It seems like my legs was off at the beginning of the match. I was on the back foot all the time. I didn't serve my best at all.

Tactically I'd say I didn't play my best, as well, at the beginning of the match. If I could change anything, I would try to start a little bit better with the movement. Maybe be a little bit more aggressive and not try to just play too passive, you know, and play my game no matter what.

Q. You've played Serena Williams here. You've played Elena Rybakina here. Big hitters. Is Madison's shot, when she's really playing well, are they the fastest that you've experienced?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Uhm... Today, yes. Today was very fast, very deep, very aggressive. Yeah, that was a great level from her.

As I said, if she can continue playing the way she was playing today, yeah, she can be one of the -- she can be in top 5.

Q. Given your incredible success at that tournament, can you be satisfied with a final, or is it just a trophy or nothing for you?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I think when you get to the point of finals, it's trophy or nothing. Nobody remembers the finalist, you know? Nobody put, like, next to the winner finalist name (smiling).

I mean, at this point, yeah, I go for titles. But, of course, I have to be anyway proud of myself with the finals, three finals in the row. That's something crazy. I hope that next year I'll come back as a better player, and I'll hold Daphne one more time.

Q. You used the dropshot a lot in the second set. Were you not able to do it in the third because of her power? Did you move away from that yourself?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I'd say that the third set was just like serve and first shot. I couldn't play the rally. I couldn't put her in the position where she would defend, and I would have a little bit more time to go for the dropshots.

I think I didn't have opportunity. Maybe I'll watch it later, and I'll say, Okay, maybe I was just a little bit off.

Q. After her previous match, Madison explained at length how you inspire her to play big in the big moments. What is it like that a fellow player is inspired by you?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Why would you say that?

No, I mean, that's definitely something you have to do like when you in the top. If you are aggressive player, you have to go for your game at the important moments.

That's crazy to hear that I'm younger than her and she's inspired by me. It's means a lot. I always wanted to be an inspiration. Maybe not for the players but people outside of tennis (laughter).

That's crazy. It's good to hear. I hope that next time I'll play a little bit better than her in those big moments.

Q. In terms of pressure during the earlier rounds, you mentioned that you entered the court match by match, not thinking too much about the record. When you stepped on court tonight, what was the level of pressure on your shoulders?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I think maybe before the game I kind of, like, was thinking about that. Like, I didn't want to block those stats. When you try to block something, it's growing bigger and bigger. Of course, I was thinking about that.

The moment I stepped on court, I was just trying to focus on the game and things I have to do to win this match. I'd say that, I mean, it's a final of a Grand Slam anyway. It's the pressure. I wouldn't say that it was something to do with pressure. It was just, like, a little bit of the tactics and the way I started the game, the match, wasn't the best way.

It had nothing to do with pressure. You always play with the pressure. It's like something you used to live with, so...

Q. You won 20 matches in a row here in Melbourne. How proud are you of what you have done over this time?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I mean, I'm super proud. As I was saying before these finals, the thing that I was able to achieve that many wins in a row at one Grand Slam, that's crazy. That's already something, you know?

Anyway, when someone else going to achieve the same, they're going to say the last player who was able to achieve, they're going to say my name. It's already something big.

I'm just trying to stay positive right now, find something good (smiling), but that's crazy. I couldn't even dream, couldn't even think about that, like, few years ago that I'd be able to win that many matches in the row at one slam.

There is definitely something to be proud of and something I definitely have to improve and be better at. It's always a process of these things to be proud and then to improve some stuff, which didn't work well.

Q. How well Madison was playing, did you expect it to stop at some point? Did you think it was too good to last till the end of the match?

ARYNA SABALENKA: She always start well. She always start really aggressive. It's all about if you can handle that power and throw it back on her.

Today I wasn't playing my best. I couldn't put her under pressure. I kind of, like, expected that, yeah, she's going to go for it. She didn't feel that much pressure from me.

Of course, she made the final. I expected her to play great tennis.