Today is May 5, and it’s time to celebrate the 26th birthday of Belarusian tennis beauty, Aryna Sabalenka! But hold on, is she in a mood to celebrate? Especially after her recent defeat to Iga Swiatek at the finals of the Madrid Open in a grueling three-set thriller. Swiatek saved three match points to defeat Sabalenka by 7-5,4-6,7-6(7) in a 3-hour 11-minute encounter. The Polish tennis star deprived Sabalenka of defending her title in Madrid and clinched her maiden triumph in the Spanish capital. But does it dampen the spirits of ‘The Tiger’?

Well, Aryna Sabalenka has no time to think of what has happened in Madrid over the last few hours. She’s now all set to look into her next mission in Rome. But before stepping onto the court for the 2024 Italian Open, Sabalenka wants to savor the tastes of Italian seasonings. During her post-match press conference, Aryna Sabalenka stated, “I have the flight very early tomorrow, so I probably won’t sleep tonight. The first thing that comes to mind is that I am ready to eat pasta, pizza and a lot of ice cream.“

She further went on to add, “Tennis goes very fast, we don’t have much time to relax, enjoy or drink (laughs). I’m happy to be a seed and get a bye in the first round. I will have a couple more days to recover. It is one of my favorite tournaments, very beautiful facilities and a beautiful city.” Although Sabalenka hasn’t won a trophy yet here in Rome, she would definitely look forward to forgetting her woes from Madrid with a title triumph in Rome.

Iga Swiatek called her match against Sabalenka in the finals of the Madrid Open, one of the most “intense and crazy finals” she has ever played. It will be interesting to see if they yet again cross paths in Italy. Aryna Sabalenka will make her sixth appearance at the Italian Open and she currently has a record of winning four of her last nine matches here. She reached the SF of the Italian Open in 2022 but was defeated by Swiatek in that match. The Polish tennis player has been a major threat to her title triumphs over the years. What are her thoughts on their latest meeting?

“I gave everything” – Aryna Sabalenka shares her thoughts on the finals in Madrid

Iga Swiatek heaped praise on Aryna Sabalenka for showcasing her incredible grit throughout the match in the final. Aryna Sabalenka also thinks that this match was very tight. She’s proud of the way she has performed against the no.1. “In my case, I’m going to suffer one day. Tomorrow I’ll leave to Rome, so I will forget it quickly,” Aryna Sabalenka.

She further went on to add, “Tomorrow is my birthday, I hope to be in a good mood. Tomorrow I turn 26. It is a hard defeat to accept. But at the same time, it is not that I lost it easily or that I did not give my best. Today I gave everything. I can only be proud of myself and hope that next year it falls on my side.” Fans are now eager to see if she really tries Italian cuisine besides her regular Oakberry bowls during her time in Italy.