"First you’re not accepting the loss & you’re acting like a b*tch" -Aryna Sabalenka opens up about learning 'hardest lesson' of dealing with losses

Aryna Sabalenka shared her thoughts on how losing is inevitable in tennis. In a tennis match, both the opponents win around a similar amount of points, and the difference between the winner and loser is hardly 10-20 points. So, even if a player wins the game, he/she has lost several times in that same match.

The World No. 1 ended the 2024 calendar year at the top for the first time in her career. She recently missed the opportunity to claim her third consecutive Australian Open title, where she lost in the finals against Madison Keys in three sets.

In a recent feature done by Flaunt, where she expressed her feelings about losing, Sabalenka stated:

“Most of the time I’m losing, learning how to lose is the hardest lesson. First, you’re not accepting the loss, and you’re acting like a b*tch. To learn how to lose and still be a good person and understand that this is just a moment... That’s hard. You know, I’m world number one, but I won four tournaments.”

Giving an example from her career, Sabalenka explained that even though she is currently ranked World No. 1, she has only won three Grand Slams despite participating in 27.

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Aryna Sabalenka emphasizes the importance of not getting carried away with the results on-court

Aryna Sabalenka dancing on the court - Source: Getty

Aryna Sabalenka further talked about enjoying off-court moments, especially when players don't get the desired results on the court. She said:

“[It’s important to] still enjoy life while you’re not having the success you wish you would have on the court.”

Sabalenka is often seen spending her off-court time, hanging out on a yacht with friends, roaming on the beach, dancing Instagram reels, shopping, boxing, and sometimes doing photoshoots for magazines. She even said that if she was not playing tennis, she would be modeling. This shows her love for fashion and the camera.

All professional athletes try not to be result-oriented, whether positive or negative. If the players are result-oriented, a positive can make them complacent and hinder their growth. On the other hand, a negative result can push them into a corner, significantly impacting their mental health and leading to further bad performances.

Aryna Sabalenka would be seen in action at the Qatar Open and Dubai Tennis Championship on February 9 and 12, respectively. She only holds one title between these two tournaments, which came in 2020 at Doha. The Belarusian will look to improve her record in the Middle East.