US Open star's furious locker room outburst caught on camera after losing final

11 September 2023 , 17:37

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Sabalenka smashes her racquet after US Open loss

US Open runner-up Aryna Sabalenka was caught on camera violently smashing the racquet she used during her loss to American teenager Coco Gauff in the final.

Sabalenka made her way through the back room corridors of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center still reeling from her defeat. Locker room cameras captured the 25-year-old Belarusian in the room where players ride bikes to recover after an intense matchup.

Footage showed Sabalenka walking past the exercise bikes to the US Open-branded wall with her equipment bag. After setting down her belongings, including her second place Tiffany & Co. sterling silver second place plaque, Sabalenka unzipped the bag to find the racquet she used during the finals.

After locating the racquet, Sabalenka smashed it to the ground four times before walking to the trash can to throw it away. The furious outburst was shared on social media as he frustration was made clear after being beaten.

Sabalenka smashes her racquet

Sabalenka repeatedly hits her racquet on the ground

Gauff secured her first Grand Slam victory, becoming the first American teen to win the US Open since Serena Williams in 2001, after defeating her opponent 2-6, 6-3, 6-2. After the loss, Sabalekna expressed a self-assessment for her loss, resulting in an emotional lapse after the first set of the competition.

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"I would say that in the first set, I was dealing with my emotions quite good," said Sabalekna while reflecting on her loss. I was focused on myself, not on the crowd or the way she moved. I mean, definitely she was moving just unbelievable today. But then in the second set, I probably started to overthink, and because of that, I start kind of like losing my power, and she started moving better. I started missing a lot of easy shots."

"I mean, the good news is that it's me against me. The bad one is that I'm still having these issues playing against myself. I would say sorry, but that's okay. I'll work harder, so next time, I'm not going to get even a little bit tired on the court, and so I'll be better."

Sabalenka tosses racquet away after US Open loss

Sabalenka walks away after tossing her racquet in the trash can

After winning the Australian Open, Sabalenka revealed that she decided to stop working with a psychologist because she felt like instead of hoping someone else could fix her problems, she would like to tackle them herself. She admitted wanting to be a "boring" player to achieve better results by screaming less during matches and trying to stay calm.

Despite losing, the 25-year-old can celebrate her No. 1 overall player ranking from the WTA. Although she couldn't win the US Open, Sabalenka won the Australian Open in January, marking her first Grand Slam title.

Swiatek lost to Jelna Ostapenko in the Round of 16, causing her to lose her No. 1 overall ranking after 75 consecutive weeks on top. In an interview since clinching the No. 1 position, Sabalenka noted that staying on top will take consistency and improvement both physically and mentally.

Rory Robinson