"Nobody remembers the finalist" - Aryna Sabalenka makes brutally honest admission after heartbreaking Australian Open defeat

Aryna Sabalenka made her feelings known about her heartbreaking defeat to Madison Keys in the 2025 Australian Open final. The Belarusian was looking to complete a three-peat in Melbourne but was stopped by the American in a thrilling three-setter.

Sabalenka brought her A-game into the Happy Slam on the back of her triumph at the Brisbane International. However, on the other side, she found Keys, who won the Adelaide International and had defeated the likes of Elena Rybakina and Iga Swiatek en route to the final.

Both women put on a tremendous show at the Rod Laver Arena and at the end of two hours and two minutes of brutal ball striking, it was Madison Keys who won her maiden Grand Slam title with a score of 6-3, 2-6, 7-5.

During the press conference, Aryna Sabalenka was asked if the only thing that would bring her satisfaction was the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup, given her tremendous success at the Australian Open. The Belarusian admitted that after reaching the final, she only wanted her hands at the cup since no one remembers the runner-up.

"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)," Aryna Sabalenka said.

"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," she added.

The Belarusian shares a great bond with her team, who have huge pillars of support in her success. However, she decided to give a shoutout to them in her typical witty style.

"When someone else going to achieve the same, they're going to say the last player who was able to achieve... my name" - Aryna Sabalenka

Aryna Sabalenka- Source: Getty

Aryna Sabalenka was on a 20-match win streak at the Australian Open, which was eventually snapped by Madison Keys. Reflecting on her tremendous run in Melbourne, Sabalenka expressed her pride in achieving such a monumental feat and said that she had etched her name in the tournament's history.

“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."

She reiterated her pride but admitted that there was still room for improvement. This is the first time the 26-year-old suffered a defeat in the final of a Grand Slam.

"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 l'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.”

Aryna Sabalenka is still the reigning US Open champion and will remain the World No. 1 ahead of Iga Swiatek, while Madison Keys will make a huge jump to reach the World No. 7.