Furious Aryna Sabalenka Smashes Racquet, Shouts At Cameraman | Watch

Last Updated:September 13, 2026, 09:02 IST

Aryna Sabalenka’s dream of winning a third straight US Open title has come to an end with a defeat to Elena Rybakina.

Emotions got the better of Aryna Sabalenka in the 2026 US Open final. (AP Photo)

Aryna Sabalenka arrived at the Arthur Ashe Stadium on Saturday with history in her sights but left the venue disappointed, annoyed and furious at losing the women’s singles final to Elena Rybakina, who had earlier displaced her as the world’s top-ranked player. Sabalenka, the two-time defending champion, lost the contest that lasted three sets and, before exchanging a quick hug with her opponent, tossed her racquet.

She then took her seat at the courtside while Rybakina soaked in the applause for her maiden US Open triumph. Sabalenka was seen smashing the racquet and later, when she spotted her being filmed, she became furious and gestured to the cameraman not to focus on her.

“I just wanted to let all of that aggression and disappointment go outside (on the court),” Sabalenka said of her actions. “It’s really tough to control your emotions when you lose in the final of the Grand Slam and when you were trying to go for (a) three-peat, so I just wanted to let it go.”

Sabalenka was unhappy with her performance but also lauded Rybakina.

“I’m obviously not really happy with the level I played today,” Sabalenka said during an on-court interview. “But she served incredibly. She played really aggressive, great tennis.”

It was the fourth year in a row that Sabalenka has reached the final of a US Open, but the latest defeat will see her end 2026 without a Grand Slam title to her name. She had earlier lost to Coco Gauff at the 2023 final.

“At some point I felt like, ‘Oh my God, I feel American,'” Sabalenka said of the support from the crowd. “I just wish I could win it and feel the support even more. Not this year.”

“I’ll just keep working hard and keep improving my tennis. There’s lots of things to take from this tournament. As experience shows, I only come back stronger, and all of these lessons this season definitely already made me stronger. Definitely going to motivate me for the next year to do a better job,” she added.

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Who won the 2026 US Open women’s singles title?

Elena Rybakina won the 2026 US Open women’s singles title by defeating Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 in the final. This victory marked Rybakina’s first US Open title and her third career Grand Slam trophy.

Why did Aryna Sabalenka smash her racquet and react angrily after the 2026 US Open final?

Aryna Sabalenka smashed her racquet and gestured angrily at a cameraman to release her aggression and disappointment after losing the final. She explained that it is difficult to control your emotions when trying to achieve a three-peat and losing a Grand Slam final.

How many Grand Slam titles did Elena Rybakina win in 2026?

Elena Rybakina won two Grand Slam titles in 2026. She won her first title of the year at the Australian Open in January and her second at the US Open in September, defeating Aryna Sabalenka in both hard-court finals.

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Feroz Khan

Feroz Khan has been covering sports for over 12 years now and is currently working with Network18 as Principal Correspondent. He embarked on his journey in 2011 and has since acquired vast experience …Read More

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