AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 31, 2026

Aryna Sabalenka

Press Conference

E. RYBAKINA/A. Sabalenka

6-4, 4-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Aryna, a tough battle out there today. Can you just give us an overview on the match and your performance today?

ARYNA SABALENKA: (Laughter.) I mean, she played incredible match, and I try my very best. I was fighting until the very last point.

I had my opportunities. It feels like I missed couple, but I mean, it's tennis. You know, today you're loser; tomorrow you're winner. Hopefully I'll be more of a winner this season than a loser. Hoping right now and praying.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. From 3-Love in the third set, do you have any regrets about what you did, or do you feel it was more her turning the match around?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I think it was, like, really aggressive tennis overall the whole match, and I feel like in that moment she kind of like had nothing to lose, so she stepped in and she played incredible points. She was serving, so it was just one break.

Probably I should -- I mean, I don't know if I have any regrets. Maybe I should have tried to be more aggressive on my serve, knowing that I have a break and put pressure on her, but she played incredible.

She made some winners. I made couple of unforced errors. Of course, I have regrets. You know, when you lead 3-Love and then it felt like in few seconds it was 3-4, and I was down with a break. So it was very fast.

Great tennis from her. Maybe not so smart for me, but as I say, today I'm a loser, maybe tomorrow I'm a winner, maybe again a loser. Hopefully not. Let's see.

Q. I'm just wondering about your mood, because you come in here laughing, which you don't usually see people doing after losing a match. How are you feeling? How are you processing this? How much are you trying to say the right things also, too?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I was -- right now I'm laughing, you mean?

Q. Well, when you walked in the room, you were laughing.

ARYNA SABALENKA: I was laughing and crying (laughter). It was hysterical moment, but nothing really productive from that conversation.

I was just let everything go out and try to -- I was really upset with myself, I would say, because once again, I had opportunities. I played great until certain point, and then I couldn't resist that aggression that she had on court today.

I was just really upset with myself, but I think overall I played great tennis here in Australia. Even in this final I feel like I played great. I was fighting. I did my best, and today she was a better player.

So I don't know. We'll speak with the team. Now they try to avoid and escape me because they see that it's not really healthy to be around me right now (laughter).

Q. Aryna, tough night. Do you think of these losses in big slam finals as a group, or do you think of them as sort of individually? I mean, you've done this incredible thing and have this incredible consistency.

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, I feel like I lost most of the finals I made in the Grand Slams. Isn't it? Okay, 4-4. I guess I'm okay (smiling).

I take each loss individually, because I feel like, I mean, obviously it was different players almost every time and different problems that I was facing during the match, different mistakes. Some of them were great matches, I played incredible. So I guess I take it individually.

Q. Just on that, I think you said the other day that there were mistakes you'd made in the past, which you felt you'd understood and kind of mastered that. So was it sort of different stuff that went wrong today than in the past?

ARYNA SABALENKA: No, I feel like, yeah, overall it was much better than last year, two finals I lost. Level-wise and decision that I was making and the way that the mentality was throughout the whole match that I was still there, I was ready to fight, I knew that she's not going to give it easily to me.

So I think overall I made huge improvement on that, and I still lost it. But it's okay. I feel like I'm moving towards the right direction.

Q. Tough one today. Just wondered, Elena seems to have really elevated her game over the last few months. She's in incredible form. I wondered, have you noticed a change in playing her the last couple of times?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I think that definitely she has more confidence, and she goes for her shots without any doubt, I would say.

But, still, she also -- like, I still had opportunities, but the level was incredible. I feel like she just play more aggressive. Yeah, I mean, she was able to build great confidence starting from Finals. Definitely better, better player. As a result, she got a slam, which is incredible achievement.

Q. Bad luck today. At this point in your career you have won four majors. You have been close to winning several more.

ARYNA SABALENKA: Thanks for reminding. It's okay.

Q. I'm curious what your ambitions for your career are right now.

ARYNA SABALENKA: Right now? I don't want to think about tennis, but ambitions are still the same. Keep fighting, keep working hard, keep putting myself out there, and try my best if I'll have another chance in the final. Just go out there and do my best.

Then just try the same, you know? Try to see how many of them I can get.

Q. You kind of said you're steering clear of your team at the moment. After a Grand Slam final, when would you have a debrief with them and go through wins or losses and discuss what you can improve?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I don't know. When? Today? Oh, fuck you, no (laughter). Maybe in a week (laughter). Or maybe in few days. Whenever I feel like, okay, I can move on from this one (laughter).

Q. Jelena Dokic on the broadcast mentioned potentially the difference in that third set was Elena's composure compared to yours. Do you think that's still something that's a bit of a gap between, say, you and someone like her?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Say it again. What was she saying?

Q. She said the composure difference between you and Elena was potentially a difference in that third set.

ARYNA SABALENKA: What is composure? Oh, focus.

Maybe. I feel like it was like this, you know? She lost her focus, I was 3-Love. I lost my focus, it was, like, 3-4. She did a better job in handling that pressure moment, that's for sure.