US OPEN

September 12, 2026

Aryna Sabalenka

Press Conference

E. RYBAKINA/A. Sabalenka

6-4, 5-7, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Aryna, I know it's tough to come right in here off the court, but just talk about your emotions. Obviously you're disappointed.

ARYNA SABALENKA: Well, yeah, I'm obviously not really happy with the level I played today, but she served incredible. She played really aggressive, great tennis. Yeah, she was simply a better player today than me.

Q. Bad luck. It's obviously been a tough summer, and you've done incredibly well to perform as you have done to reach the final. Do you take anything from that, from the way you bounced back and put yourself back in the final?

ARYNA SABALENKA: No, I think overall I should be happy with the level I played, and there's lots of things to take from this tournament. I mean, as experience shows, that I only come back stronger and all of these lessons this season definitely already made me stronger, but definitely going to motivate me for the next year to do better job.

Q. Is part of you looking forward already going hunting again and sort of being the one that's going to be able to come after people instead of having the target on your back?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I think anyway when you go out there, you have target on your back. Doesn't matter if you are No. 1, No. 2, 3, 4, whatever it is.

I'll just keep working hard and keep improving my tennis, my level. Hopefully I will win some more tournaments.

Q. Aryna, what are your thoughts on the developing rivalry that you and Elena had and what you think makes her the formidable player that she is?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, we have a great rivalry. We play a lot of great matches, great finals this season. Yeah, her serve is amazing, the way she able to step in and overpower you on court, and especially if it's a US Open court where it's super fast, definitely huge advantage for her.

A lot of things makes her dangerous.

Q. Aryna, you smashed the ball into the crowd at one point and your racquet after. What was going through your mind? What was making it tough to sort of control your emotions today?

ARYNA SABALENKA: It's really tough to control your emotions when you lose in the final of the Grand Slam and when you were trying to go for three-peat. So I just wanted to let it go, because if I would hold it inside, right now or here or there on the court, I wouldn't be able to say a word or I would just go not really nice over there.

So I just wanted to let all of that aggression and disappointment go outside.

Q. I think a lot of times people would think that experience and playing a lot of finals make things easier. I'm wondering for you if it starts making it tougher when you feel like it's something, Oh, no, I've lost these before, it's going to hurt, it's sort of a bad feeling?

ARYNA SABALENKA: You're thinking too much. I was just out there competing, trying to do my best with what I had there today. Not good enough.

Q. Bad luck today. Really nice tournament. I wonder what you thought of the atmosphere in the crowd? It felt like first time in a long time where people were really behind you from the very...

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, it felt amazing. Actually, at some point I felt like, Oh, my God, I feel American over there (laughing). I just wish I could, you know, win it and feel the support even more. Yeah, not this year.

Q. You've held the No. 1 ranking for quite a long time. Just wondering how that's going to feel coming out of here not to have that on your name and if that's a point of reference for you as player?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I mean, I think it's incredible achievement, and I don't even know how many weeks I was able to be there.

Q. (Off microphone.)

ARYNA SABALENKA: 99? Well, that's amazing. Let's see if Elena can beat me in that (laughing). She continue to play like that, then yeah, I'm in trouble (laughing).