Aryna Sabalenka was laughing on the outside but hurting on the inside as she began to process her three-set loss in the Australian Open final tonight.
Sabalenka was giggling and making jokes during her press conference, with the highlight an interaction with her coaches, when she was asked when she would address the loss with them.
“I don’t know,” Sabalenka said before looking towards her coaches, who were waiting off camera.
“When? Today?
“Oh, f--- you, no [laughter]. Maybe in a week [laughter].
“Or maybe in few days. Whenever I feel like, OK, I can move on from this one.”
When asked about her emotions, Sabalenka admitted it was a mixed bag.
“I was laughing and crying,” she said.
“It was a hysterical moment, but nothing really productive from that conversation… Just let everything go out and try to... I was really upset with myself, I would say, because once again, I had opportunities. I played great until a certain point, and then I couldn’t resist that aggression that she had on court today.
“I was just really upset with myself, but I think overall I played great tennis here in Australia. Even in this final I feel like I played great. I was fighting. I did my best, and today she was a better player.
“So, I don’t know. We’ll speak with the team. Now they try to avoid and escape me because they see that it’s not really healthy to be around me right now.”
She laughed after that line too. But there was no joy in that laughter at all.