Aryna Sabalenka was trying to become the first woman since Martina Hingis to win three successive Australian Open titles.

But after just falling short against Keys, the raw emotion poured out of the world number one as her racket felt the full force of her frustration.

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 6-3 2-6, 7-5 victory.

Sabalenka was furious and proceeded to smash her racket after shaking Keys’ hand at the net, before storming back to the locker room.

On the latest edition of the Rennae Stubbs podcast, Stubbs was not impressed with how Sabalenka reacted, but her guest Andrea Petkovic saw things from a different perspective.

“I think the reason why Sabalenka lost her mind after the match, which was not a good look, was that she thought the return was out [during the final game].

“When you see her reaction to her box, she basically says she thought the return was out which was why she lost her mind. But that was not a good look for her and breaking the racket was really not a good look for her.

“She is such a good loser normally, she is normally so gracious and she was gracious in the speech, but if there was one moment she would want to take back. It’s like you can’t take that moment away from Madison.”

Petkovic added: “This is my argument for Sabalenka. You live and you die by the sword that you swing and if we love Sabalenka for the emotions that she displays we have to take the bad emotions with it.

“We can’t have all the funny dances and the warrior in her without having the other part of it as well.”

Following her outburst Sabalenka returned to the court and was present for the trophy presentation, where she congratulated Keys on her monumental victory.

Sabalenka spoke to reporters in her post-match press conference and explained why she reacted in that manner after losing at Melbourne Park for the first time since 2022.

“Well, I mean, there definitely was a bit of frustration because I was so close to achieving something crazy,” she said.

“When you’re out there, you’re fighting, but it seems like everything is not going the way you really want it to go.

“I just needed to throw those negative emotions at the end just so I could give a speech, not stand there being disrespectful. I was just trying to let it go and be a good person, be respectful.”

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