Aryna Sabalenka left tennis fans angry after seeing her reaction to losing the Australian Open final to Madison Keys.
The Belarusian was trying to win her third successive championship but she just fell short in the 2025 championship match.
The World number one contested a thrilling match against Madison Keys, who produced arguably the best performance of her career to win the first Grand Slam title of her career.
Keys outlasted the two-time defending champion 6-3, 2-6 7-5 to win the title just 24 hours after beating Iga Swiatek to reach the final.
Tennis fans are not happy with Aryna Sabalenka’s post-Australian Open final reaction
Aryna Sabalenka and Keys’ Australian Open final went right down to the wire.
Both players produced their best level simultaneously in the final set, and Keys came up with some crucial forehand winners in the last two games to seal a monumental victory.
Sabalenka was furious and proceeded to smash her racket after shaking Keys’ hand at the net, before storming back to the locker room.
Tennis fans were angry with her reaction as one X user said: “Sabalenka smashing the racquet… gee wiz. Toys out of the cot,” while another said: “Sore loser Sabalenka, fantastic from Madison Keys to win the Aus Open. Deserves it.”
The messages came pouring in as this user said: “How’s the behaviour from Sabalenka after losing. 7-year old tantrum. Pathetic,” and another said: “Sabalenka needs to show a bit more class here. Does she think there was a dodgy call or something?”
“That’s just magic from Madison Keys! Poor form at the end for Sabalenka to smash her racquet and then leave the court,” another fan said. “Madison deserved it. Now she’s justifiably a Grand Slam champion! What a comeback to the very top.
“Really ugly from Sabalenka. Win gracefully, lose gracefully. Don’t ruin the moment of a lifetime for Keys,” another fan said, and this one added: “Sabalenka showing the world how not to lose a match. Disrespectful, making it about her.”
Aryna Sabalenka’s Australian Open winning streak comes to an end
Sabalenka was aiming to become the first woman to win the Australian Open three times in a row since Martina Hingis in 1999.
She was the favourite to claim the title once again and she had dropped just one set on the way to the championship match.
In the final, Sabalenka fell behind but she was able to level proceedings in set two and it appeared as though the momentum had swung in her favour.
But Keys was able to produce her best tennis at the most crucial times more than Sabalenka, and she went on to win one of the best matches of 2025 so far.
The World number one’s win streak in Melbourne ended at 20 matches, and it took a truly special performance from Keys to beat her.
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