Aryna Sabalenka left everyone laughing at the post-match press conference with her cheeky comment.
After losing the Australian Open final to Elena Rybakina in three sets on Saturday, January 31, the Belarusian appeared surprisingly cheerful in the press conference.
Sabalenka's playful demeanour was a rare sight as players typically show visible disappointment after a loss.
However, on court, the world number one was visibly emotional, covering her head with a towel to hide her disappointment after losing her consecutive Melbourne Park final.
When later asked about her contrasting reactions, the 27-year-old candidly said, "I was laughing and crying. 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."
Speaking about her team, the tennis star joked,"Now they try to avoid and escape me because they see that it’s not really healthy to be around me right now."
Later, when she was asked when she would sit down with her team to debrief the final, Sabalenka gave a deep sigh and admitted, "I don't know," before turning to her team and asked, "When?"
When someone suggested "Today," she jokingly shot back, "Oh f**k you, no," sparking laughter in the room.
Still smiling, she added, "Maybe in a week. Or maybe in few days. Whenever I feel like, okay, I can move on from this one."
On the other hand, Sabalenka shared a powerful message on Instagram, writing, "Not the ending I wanted, but I am proud of the fight. So much more to come."
Rybakina's victory now moved her back up to third in the world tennis rankings just behind Sabalenka and second ranked Iga Swiatek.
