Aryna Sabalenka humorously thanked Elena Rybakina for her dominating performance in the final of the Brisbane International on Sunday.
It was a rematch of last year’s Australian Open when Sabalenka faced Rybakina in the final. Despite Sabalenka being the World No.2 and the top seed in Brisbane, Rybakina ended Sabalenka’s 15-match winning streak, not allowing her any time to settle throughout the match.
Rybakina wrapped up the first set in 24 minutes in which Sabalenka played 12 unforced errors. The Kazakh faced some fight from Sabalenka in the second set but it was not enough to stop her from winning the match 6-0, 6-3, and also clinching her sixth WTA title.
During the post-match trophy presentation, World No.2 Sabalenka had some words for her coaching team and jokingly blamed them for the defeat.
Never change, @SabalenkaA 😂🫶#BrisbaneTennis pic.twitter.com/T0sSoSXeLI
— wta (@WTA) January 7, 2024
Following that, she praised Rybakina for her outstanding performance and playfully thanked Rybakina for allowing her to win a few points in the final.
“Well, honestly I don’t know where to start. First of all, Elena wow. Thank you for those 3 games at least. We made it look like a fight. Great job, congrats to you and your team on an amazing week. And see you in Melbourne.”
-Aryna Sabalenka at the trophy presentation in Brisbane
Aryna Sabalenka mocks US Open final crowd following her first-round win in Brisbane
World No.2 Aryna Sabalenka who finished as the runners-up at the 2024 Brisbane International made some remarks regarding the support she received at the 2023 US Open.
She made a promising start to the tournament defeating Luciz Brozetti in the first round in straight sets. Following that, she thanked the Australian fans for their support and also expressed the lack of support she felt during the US Open final in September 2023.
She feels that, with the same level of support from the Australian crowd, she would have won the US Open, and urged her fans to attend the tournament next year.
Aryna Sabalenka after winning her 1st match of the season:
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) January 3, 2024
“Guys, if I would have your support at the US Open, I probably would win that one. Can you come at the US Open next year?” 😂 pic.twitter.com/YISG0MK3RA
“I’m super happy to be back in Brisbane, Australia. I really missed you so much in all the Slams. Guys, if I would have your support at the US Open, probably I would win that one. Can you come at the US Open next year?”
– Arya Sabalenka after her first round win at Brisbane
