“The end… there was a bit of frustration because I was so close to achieve something crazy,” Aryna Sabalenka said after her heartbreaking Australian Open defeat to Madison Keys at Rod Laver Arena last week. Being Aryna is tough, especially when you are No.1 and a reigning champion of the Major down under. Having won two successive Slams in Melbourne, the Belarusian was touted to lift her third straight trophy in Australia before this year’s edition. Her overall stint in the event was also commendable. Sadly, Keys shattered her dreams on January 25, taking the championship 3-6, 6-2, 7-5. But guess what? Sabalenka has now learned to embrace moments of disappointment.

Not every day is a great day, and the Belarusian learned it the hard way in the title clash in Melbourne. Before the tournament, she was on the brink of repeating a 26-year-old record of Martina Hingis. The latter had won back-to-back three Australian Open titles between 1997 and 1999. Being the AO winner in 2023 and 2024, Sabalenka had a golden opportunity and a fine form to replicate this milestone. However, it was Keys who eventually lifted the coveted trophy after a lengthy battle of two hours and two minutes. It was her career’s first-ever Slam victory after making her Australian Open debut as a teenager back in 2015.

After the final, Sabalenka was seen getting aggressive with her racket. She repeatedly smashed it out of sheer frustration for not being able to outperform her American counterpart. Fast forward to a week later, it seems the World No. 1 has a different perspective on life. But what is it? In an interaction with Flaunt magazine, dated January 31, she revealed, “Most of the time I’m losing. Learning how to lose is the hardest lesson.” How? “First, you’re not accepting the loss, and you’re acting like a b***h. To learn how to lose and still be a good person and understand that this is just a moment… That’s hard.”

Continuing further she added, “You know, I’m world number one, but I won four tournaments.” She implied that being the top-ranked player, she should have won more WTA events in the last year. Since her Australian Open victory in January 2024, the Belarusian has won only four trophies. She took the title at the Cincinnati Masters back in August. Then she was the winner at the US Open in September, followed by the Wuhan Open in October. At the start of 2025, she emerged victorious at the Brisbane International earlier this month.

However, now she thinks that it’s crucial to “enjoy life while you’re not having the success you wish you would have on the court.” That’s what really matters now for the 26-year-old.

Yes, she was dejected following the unexpected result at Rod Laver Arena, but she eventually had to agree that Keys played far better. It becomes evident from Sabalenka’s post-match reaction. So what did she say about the 29-year-old first-time Slam winner?

Madison Keys deserved to win the Australian Open, according to Aryna Sabalenka

During the press conference, Aryna Sabalenka was asked to reflect on her performance. Finding it tough to absorb the outcome, World No.1 said, “When you’re out there, you’re fighting, but it seems like everything is going not the way you really want it to go.”

She then acknowledged her opponent’s abilities, giving her full credit. Sharing her thoughts about the presentation ceremony where she stood as a runner-up alongside Keys, she said, “That’s definitely really tough. I was standing there and just was like, ‘OK, c’mon, you’ve been in her position. She deserves that. She was the better player than you.'”

Meanwhile, Sabalenka tried to keep her spirits high despite the loss. “It’s OK. 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.” Looking forward, she added, “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.”

What are your thoughts on Sabalenka’s run at the Australian Open? Do you think she gave her best performance in this year’s edition? Let us know in the comments below.