Everything Aryna Sabalenka said in candid press conference after Wimbledon loss to Naomi Osaka
Aryna Sabalenka admitted she wanted to “get completely drunk” as she spoke candidly after her loss to Naomi Osaka in the fourth round at Wimbledon.
In a battle of two four-time Grand Slam champions, world No 1 Sabalenka fell to a convincing 2-6, 6-7(2) defeat to 14th seed Osaka on Centre Court.
Sabalenka, who was aiming to win her maiden Wimbledon title, has not secured a Grand Slam since her triumph at the 2025 US Open.
Here is everything Sabalenka said in her post-match press conference.
Q. If you could give us your thoughts on the match this afternoon.
SABALENKA: Obviously I’m not happy with the way I played, but yeah, she overpowered me. I felt like it was incredible level from her. I try my best. Well, unfortunately not this year.
Q. Obviously you’d beaten Osaka the last three matches this year on different surfaces. Do you think the surface played a part? Was it her level?
SABALENKA: I think a combination of both. I didn’t play my best, and she played probably her best. Sometimes that happens. Sometimes you can go out there and do everything you can and still lose the match. Obviously I’m not really happy. Well done for Naomi. Wishing her the best.
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Q. You came in very fast after this match.
SABALENKA: Yeah.
Q. What are the emotions like now that this tournament is over for you?
SABALENKA: No emotions (smiling). Just know that I can handle myself much better than last year. Obviously, guys, if you were expecting something really fun, not going to happen. Probably just going to be short answers. I f***ed it up this year. Next year I’ll try to do better.
Q. Feeling overpowered today. How strange a sensation is that for you?
SABALENKA: Yeah, it’s actually strange. No, I just think, to be honest, if I would be able to play a little bit better, I feel like my level was really low today, plus she was feeling her best. With every game we would play, I would feel worse, she would feel better. She would just go for her shots freely. I wouldn’t. I feel like, yeah, maybe next time I should change something in the preparation, or my approach should be a little bit different to this match. I just feel like honestly I did everything I could with what I had today, and she got a win. Well done. Wish her, once again, the best of luck.
Q. I wonder whether you find it harder if you have a loss where you feel like you were in control and it was on your racquet, or a match like today where you’re out of control a little bit?
SABALENKA: What is the question?
Q. Whether you find it harder, a loss, where you feel you should have won or a match like today where you were kind of helpless.
SABALENKA: I don’t know. Both sucks, you know? So I prefer winning (smiling).
Q. Your forehand, you hit some great shots, but you seemed to get particularly frustrated with that. At 3-1 there was a loud scream when you hit it into the net. Do you think you did pull it back in the second set, or it just wasn’t there today?
SABALENKA: I feel like honestly it wasn’t there today. I tried my best. I was trying to adjust as best as possible. I honestly feel like I left everything today. I don’t know. For some reason, I didn’t have level at all. Like, I was overpowered, maybe couple times got over-emotional, but I was trying to stay in control. Yeah, I feel like sometimes there is days like that. You just have to say congrats and leave.
Q. Do you feel like you are the world No 1 player at the moment? If not, what do you feel like you need to do to get back to that status?
SABALENKA: Oh, this question, guys. I mean, let’s just look at the ranking. Right now I’m world No 1. Level-wise, today I wasn’t world No 1. Yesterday I was world No 1. I feel like I just, you know, I don’t even want to think about ranking at this point. I just want to go, get completely drunk, forget about tennis, and try to get in better shape (smiling).
Q. You mentioned trying to keep your emotions under control. Do you feel you’re satisfied with how you did that? How was your focus during the match
SABALENKA: I cannot be satisfied with anything today. But I have to say that there was couple times where I could just completely lose it. But I was respectful to the grass and to the next players who is going to play there, so I hold myself really good.
Q. You were saying you felt like your level wasn’t there. When you’re warming up ahead of getting into the match, did you feel things were off at all before the match?
SABALENKA: No, no. Not at all. Like first points of the match, I was struggling little bit. I was trying to, like, change my racquet, adjust my swings. I honestly tried everything I could today. Just seems like, yeah, wasn’t my day at all.
Q. First time in many years you’ve lost in straight sets at a Grand Slam.
SABALENKA: That’s a good statistic, right?
Q. It has been more than six years.
SABALENKA: It’s okay. I’ll get back stronger. We’ll start build everything from scratch for the next one.
Q. You said you were being respectful to the grass I guess by not hitting your racquet into the grass, but you did hit the ball very well after you lost match
point.
SABALENKA: Yeah, but I hit it outside of the stadium, I believe.
Q. It went really far.
SABALENKA: So you see (smiling)?
Q. How did you feel going into the tiebreak? Especially at Grand Slams your tiebreak record is so good. Did you feel confident going into it?
SABALENKA: Well, it’s not good anymore. I don’t know. I wasn’t really thinking about my record at all. I was just trying to focus point by point. As I said, what could I do if the person is acing and hitting the lines, just going for her shots without any fear? I was the one who was just trying to kind of, like, find my rhythm. Two extremes. I was really battling myself. She was just going for it. Didn’t happen today. Hopefully will happen tomorrow.
Q. Talking about all the emotional control that you’re working on, is there any risk do you feel that that kind of can dull the senses, the tennis senses, out there in big moments?
SABALENKA: No, I don’t think so.
