Aryna Sabalenka Defends Racket Smash and Ball Abuse After US Open Final Loss – ‘Wouldn’t Be Able To Say a Word’

On Saturday, September 12, Elena Rybakina denied Aryna Sabalenka a Grand Slam title for the second time this season, leaving the Belarusian without a Major title in 2026 after runner-up finishes at both the Australian Open and the US Open.

The soon-to-be World No. 1 delivered a bold yet disciplined performance, consistently disrupting Sabalenka’s rhythm and forcing the 28-year-old into a series of tense reactions.

Sabalenka entered the US Open as the top seed and two-time defending champion, determined to claim her first Grand Slam title of the season. However, she was also at risk of losing her World No. 1 ranking, which she had held for a total of 107 weeks, with Elena Rybakina, Coco Gauff, and Jessica Pegula all mounting strong challenges through their consistent performances over the previous 52 weeks.

It was ultimately Rybakina who dethroned the Belarusian after reaching the semifinals. The Kazakhstani player, however, wasn’t finished there. With her sights set on a third different Major title, following her Wimbledon triumph in 2022 and Australian Open success in 2026, Rybakina continued her dominant run all the way to the trophy.

In Saturday’s final, Rybakina fired 12 aces to Sabalenka’s six, while the two produced a comparable number of winners, with the former holding a slight advantage, 36 to 32. Rybakina was broken just once and kept her unforced errors down to 24, while Sabalenka committed 35 and was broken three times. The difference ultimately proved decisive, as Rybakina secured the title with a 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 victory.

The occasion appeared to get the better of the four-time Grand Slam champion at one point, as Sabalenka tossed a ball high into the air after being broken for the first time. Chair umpire Greg Allensworth subsequently issued her a code violation for ball abuse.

Sabalenka was involved in several other tense moments throughout the match, repeatedly taking her frustration out on the ball and her racket. After losing the final, the Belarusian furiously smashed her racket, an outburst that was later brought up during her post-match press conference. When asked about the incident, she responded:

“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 a threepeat. 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 not really nice over there. So, I just wanted all of that aggression and disappointment to go outside.”

The 2026 US Open marked Aryna Sabalenka’s ninth Grand Slam final and her fifth defeat at that stage. Two of those losses came against Coco Gauff at the 2023 US Open and 2025 French Open, while Madison Keys defeated her in the 2025 Australian Open final. Rybakina then handed her defeats in both hardcourt Majors in 2026.

For Elena Rybakina, meanwhile, the victory marked her third Grand Slam title in four finals contested. It was also her third title of the season and the 14th of her career. The result leaves her 2,026 points clear of Sabalenka, who will drop to World No. 2 on Monday with 7,875 ranking points.

This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.