"Feel like this is the day" - Aryna Sabalenka hilariously breaks into champagne stash after loss to Donna Vekic in Dubai Tennis Championships 2R

Aryna Sabalenka recently raided her champagne supply after her loss to Donna Vekic in the second round at the 2024 Dubai Tennis Championships.

Sabalenka made her first appearance since successfully defending her Australian Open title at the Dubai Open, entering as the second seed with a first-round bye. However, in her opening match, the World No. 2 suffered a defeat to Vekic, losing 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-0 in two hours and 22 minutes.

During the match, Vekic delivered 14 aces and dominated the final stretch of the game by winning 12 out of the last 13 games, ultimately securing the victory over the Belarusian.

Vekic had a strong lead in the head-to-head record against Sabalenka, winning five out of the seven matches they had played before their encounter in Dubai. With this victory, the Croat extended her lead to 6-2 against the two-time Grand Slam winner.

Following her loss at the Dubai Tennis Championship, Sabalenka took to social media to share a picture of her champagne collection. There, she hilariously suggested that it was the perfect moment to uncork a bottle, hinting that the champagne would help ease the sting of losing in the opening match.

"Feel like this is the day 🥂 😂 ," Sabalenka captioned her Instagram story.

Aryna Sabalenka's Instagram story

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Aryna Sabalenka after her loss to Donna Vekic: "The level was so bad from me"

Aryna Sabalenka at the 2024 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships

Aryna Sabalenka had an impressive start to her 2024 season, making it to the finals of the first two tournaments she participated in. She kicked off her year at the Brisbane International, reaching the final without dropping a single set, only to be defeated by Elena Rybakina in straight sets in the championship match.

Sabalenka then went on to compete in the Australian Open, where she once again went all the way to the championship match without dropping a set. She ultimately defended her title by defeating Zheng Qinwen 6-3, 6-2 in the final.

This is why her second-round loss in the opening match of the 2024 Dubai Tennis Championships against Donna Vekic came as a surprise to many. Sabalenka admitted that Vekic played exceptionally well, while acknowledging that her own performance was subpar.

“The level was so bad from me. She played amazing tennis, and I didn’t play my best at all. I feel like the conditions here don’t fit me well at all. It’s really tricky for me to compete here in Dubai. I won the first set and I was up in the second with a break, but it didn’t feel like I was up at all. This court is just a really tricky one for me,” Sabalenka said at the post-match press conference (via the competition's official website).