Aryna Sabalenka had already lost the world No. 1 ranking. Then came the US Open final, and another painful blow. As Elena Rybakina closed in on the title, Sabalenka’s frustration boiled over, producing an outburst that could have exposed her to far bigger consequences.

During the post-match press conference, Sabalenka was asked about hitting a ball into the crowd and smashing her racquet during the final. The Belarusian did not try to hide from the moment.

“It’s really tough to control your emotions when you lose in the final of the Grand Slam and when you were trying to go for three peat. So, I just wanted to let it go because if I would hold it inside right now over here or over there on the court, I wouldn’t be able to say a word or I would just go uh not really nice over there. So, I just wanted to let all of that aggression and disappointment go outside,” Sabalenka explained.

And there was plenty of emotion to let out. After Rybakina broke for a 3-2 lead in the opening set, Sabalenka hit a ball into the crowd, with ESPN commentators reporting that it struck the bottom camera near a cameraman. Given what happened to Novak Djokovic at the 2020 US Open, it was a moment that could easily have turned into something much more serious.

Djokovic was disqualified at the 2020 US Open after accidentally striking a line judge in the throat with a ball. Sabalenka’s shot didn’t hit anyone, but had it been a few inches closer, the defending champion could have found herself facing a similar fate.

The frustration did not end there. After Rybakina sealed her 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 victory, Sabalenka embraced the new champion before returning to her chair. She then smashed her racquet as the weight of the defeat finally appeared to hit her.
When a TV camera operator moved closer to capture the emotional moment, Sabalenka waved them away and shouted, “F-ck off.” The camera quickly moved away before returning to Rybakina, who was celebrating with her team and family.

Yet this was not entirely unfamiliar territory for Sabalenka.

Back in April 2024, her fitness coach, Jason Stacy, offered an insight into why the team has learned to accept, and sometimes even encourage, those emotional explosions. Speaking on Lead on Purpose with James Laughlin, Stacy explained that Sabalenka is better off releasing her emotions than bottling them up.
“There are times when she would scream. She gets rid of her emotions because she needs to have that release,” Stacy said.

Stacy also revealed that he and head coach Anton Dubrov have sometimes deliberately tried to frustrate Sabalenka because they understand how her emotions can become part of her competitive rhythm. Early in her career, controlling those feelings was a struggle. Eventually, though, the team realized trying to change her personality was pointless.

“It’s like, ‘Alright, she’s an emotional person’, and we’re not going to make that stop. That would be ridiculous,” Stacy explained.

For Sabalenka, the outbursts can almost become a reset button. Stacy described the yelling, screaming, and occasional racquet smashing as a way of getting everything out before switching back into competition mode.

That raw emotion was on full display in New York. But ultimately, Rybakina was the one who kept her composure when it mattered most.

Aryna Sabalenka throws a challenge to Elena Rybakina after US Open loss

The opening set stayed on serve until Rybakina found the breakthrough in the fifth game. Sabalenka responded by taking a tense second set, but the decider quickly slipped away. Rybakina broke for 2-1 and again for 5-2 before serving out the championship on her 12th ace.

She finished with 85% of points won behind her first serve and only 24 unforced errors, compared with Sabalenka’s 35.

It was Rybakina’s second Grand Slam final victory over Sabalenka in 2026, following her Australian Open triumph. Sabalenka had answered those defeats with wins at Indian Wells and Miami, but this time Rybakina had the final word.
The victory also pushed their rivalry to 10-8 in Sabalenka’s favor, while Rybakina admitted just how difficult the world No. 1 had made the battle.

“You are a great champion. It’s so difficult to play against you. You push to such limits,” Rybakina said. For Sabalenka, there was little left but to face the crowd.

“The last thing I want to do right now is give a speech but I’ll try my best,” she admitted. She fought back tears before congratulating Rybakina and looking ahead.

“I wish I could have performed a little bit better, but I guess there’s next year.”
There was still a hint of defiance, too. Reflecting on her 99 consecutive weeks at No. 1, Sabalenka joked about Rybakina’s rise: “Let’s see if Elena can beat me in that. If she continues to play like that, then yeah, I’m in trouble.”

For now, though, Rybakina owns New York. And Sabalenka is left to pick up the pieces after a night when her emotions came dangerously close to costing her more than just the title.