"We can't s*it on players for everything" - Aryna Sabalenka & Alexander Zverev receive support from Andrea Petkovic after Australian Open criticism

Aryna Sabalenka and Alexander Zverev received support from former German tennis player Andrea Petkovic after facing criticism for their losses in the final of the 2025 Australian Open. Sabalenka, a two-time defending champion, was aiming for her third Melbourne Major and fourth Grand Slam title overall, while Zverev was seeking his first Grand Slam title victory.

Aryna Sabalenka was the top seed, and she defeated players such as Sloane Stephens, Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, Clara Tauson, and Mirra Andreeva in the first four rounds. She then overcame Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Paula Badosa in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively, but fell short in the final against Madison Keys, who claimed her first Grand Slam title.

Alexander Zverev's path to the final included victories over Lucas Pouille, Pedro Martinez, Jacob Fearnley, Ugo Humbert, Tommy Paul, and Novak Djokovic. In the championship match, he faced defending champion Jannik Sinner, who secured his second Australian Open title and third Grand Slam title overall by defeating the German.

After their losses, Sabalenka and Zverev displayed raw emotions on the court, drawing criticism from many. Andrea Petkovic, who, while speaking on The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast, defended the players, stating that it is important to acknowledge and accept the emotions athletes experience.

Petkovic expressed that if the people love Aryna Sabalenka's "funny dances" on court then they also need to appreciate her when she is down after losing the final of a Grand Slam.

“If we love [Aryna] Sabalenka for the emotions she displays, we have to take the bad emotions with it. We can’t have all the funny dances and warrior in her without having the other part of it as well,” Petkovic said (52:52).

Petkovic also extended her argument to include Alexander Zverev, stating that it is unfair for people to criticize him after a loss in a Major final. She said that it was important that fans allow players to express their emotions without facing backlash from the public.

“And that’s why this same argument I think I make with [Alexander] Zverev, we can’t sh*t on the players for everything. If we sh*t on them for one thing, we have to take it and then run with it. If they tried to change it, and that’s my argument, if we love Sabalenka for her emotions, we have to live with that, her emotions can get the better of her,” she added (53:05).

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What Aryna Sabalenka & Alexander Zverev said after their runner-up finishes at Australian Open 2025

Aryna Sabalenka (L) & Alexander Zverev (R) after the Australian Open 2025 final [Source: Getty]

Following her defeat to Madison Keys in the final of the 2025 Australian Open, Aryna Sabalenka expressed that she was "frustrated" after the defeat but was optimistic, stating that she believes good wins are on the horizon after a difficult loss.

“There definitely was a bit of frustration because I was so close to achieve something crazy. 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,” Aryna Sabalenka said.

On the other hand, Alexander Zverev, after losing to Jannik Sinner in the final of the Melbourne Major, admitted it was "tough" to watch Sinner hoist the trophy. Zverev said that he believed that he had a strong chance of winning, as he felt in top form during the match.

“It was a little bit of a tough moment for me because I really went in the final and I really thought I had a very good chance because I was feeling good. Now for the third time, seeing somebody lift the trophy, me standing next to that is difficult because there's nothing more I want than to be able to hold one of those trophies in my hands,” Zverev said.

Apart from her runner-up finish at the 2025 Australian Open, Sabalenka's best results at the Grand Slam tournaments include winning the 2023 and 2024 Melbourne Major, as well as winning the 2024 US Open.

Zverev, on the other hand, has finished as the runner-up at three Grand Slam tournaments to date - the 2020 US Open, the 2024 French Open, and most recently, the 2025 Melbourne Major.