Australian Open Sunday, 14 February 2021 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Aryna Sabalenka Press Conference

really powerful game she has. Yeah, I mean, it was S. WILLIAMS/A. Sabalenka really a great battle between us, and I hope that next time I can finish it differently. So, yeah. 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 And, yeah, I will work on it. I think there is lot of work to THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. do.

Q. Obviously it was a very entertaining match today. Q. You turned pro when you were 14, correct? Obviously unfortunate for the result, but you must be pretty proud with the level of play that you showed ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, maybe I played, I got the today? wildcard in ITF 25K in Belarus, so, yeah, let's say 14. Yeah. ARYNA SABALENKA: Well, might have been some moments I'm really proud of the level I played today, but Q. So if I told you that Serena was also 14 when she I'm not really happy how I finish first set and the third set. turned pro. So there is still some things to work on, and I will take this lesson and move forward. ARYNA SABALENKA: Oh, okay.

But, yeah, it was great battle. And, yeah, I wish I could Q. What is that like for you to see her at 39 still finish it differently. doing what you're doing?

Q. So you did do really well to come back from -- she ARYNA SABALENKA: Well, I respect her. The level was up 4-1 in the third, you come back to go 4-4. she's playing right now, it's really good. Yeah, I mean, What happened then? Was it something that Serena this is something unbelievable. She's doing really well. did or in your mind something that you didn't do? Was it physical, mental? I think not a lot of players can do that. And, yeah, she's good (smiling). ARYNA SABALENKA: I would say that there was something what I didn't do, because I felt like after 4-All I Q. At the end of the match you kind of gave your box won that incredible point and I felt like I have to put a thumbs up. I don't know if that was a real thumbs pressure on her, because she's kind of a little bit down. up or a sarcastic thumbs up, but what did you mean But, yeah, but my return game wasn't there on that point by that? (smiling). ARYNA SABALENKA: I don't know. I was just so upset, Yeah, and then she step in and, yeah, I was a little bit, and I don't know. I don't remember, actually, what I was like, back maybe. I should play more aggressive on her thinking in that moment. serve and also my serve, yeah. But I was so angry and so disappointed, and I don't But like in the first set -- I shouldn't say that. Whatever. know. I was just, like -- I needed to, like, I don't know. I Yeah. just needed. I don't know what the reason for, but it was crazy. I don't know (smiling). Q. You surely watched her a lot. What was it like to share the court with her and see her game up close? Q. In terms of just how -- it sounds like you're quite disappointed in the result and things like that. Can ARYNA SABALENKA: Well, she's just another player for you articulate why? What is the disappointment that me, and I was going there and, like, for another fight and you feel? Is it that you lost the match, that you lost for another win, but it didn't happen. to Serena, that you didn't perform the way that you wanted to? Why are you upset? But, yeah, she's a great player, and she's big fighter and

104678-1-1063 2021-02-14 09:49:00 GMT Page 1 of 2 ARYNA SABALENKA: I would say, yeah, because I lost whatever. I will go there, compete and do everything I this match and I kind of felt like -- I don't know. I felt like I can, and we'll see. should win it and I felt I was doing really well, fighting really well. But the end of the third set, like, I lost two Q. Maybe because I'm old and have seen a hundred games in, I don't know, in few minutes, like really quick. matches where person was recovering, coming back This is what I'm really disappointed with. from 4-1. When you reach the final, you know, tie, you're so happy that you relax a little bit and it's a I mean, I could lose this match maybe like 7-6 or mental thing. It happens to so many players. That is whatever, but I have to serve better against these kind of probably what happened to you. It will not happen players. maybe again.

Yeah, I cannot just, like, come back after 1-4 and just ARYNA SABALENKA: No, no, I wouldn't say that, lose two games like 40-15? Like, come on. What was because when you play against these kind of players like the reason for, like, to coming back in this match? Like Serena, there is no moment to relax. And you know that, you could just give this win to her? Like, if you came and you cannot relax. So there wasn't about relax. It back, then fight. was just about, I don't know what it was about, like -- yeah, because I think she start serving better than she Like, you cannot -- like, okay, she took her serve. It's was before. okay, like, this is what she usually do, this is nothing crazy with that. But then, like, take your serve, like you Yeah, because I didn't return, like I won first point, and have to serve for you have to stay in the match. then I couldn't return, like, I was missing. And there was like easy points for her. I can't say that I was relaxed I don't know. This is what I'm really disappointed with, there. I was there. Like, I know that everything happen and this is -- I would say that this is nothing to do with and I know she will fight and she will not give me this win, tennis. This is more like in my head, like, why would I like, easily. miss like easy shots, like, I just serve and then I think I made, like, unforced errors like four points, like easy I need to win it. And I wasn't relaxed there. points for her. Why would I do this? FastScripts by ASAP Sports Yeah, this is nothing about tennis, I would say. This is what I really disappointed with, because -- I mean, I'm still young, but I thought that I have enough experience to handle all this pressure and all this, how to say, I would say all this pressure.

So, yeah, we'll see. But, yeah.

Q. You are still quite young, and experience does matter. What do you think is the experience that you take out of this, you know, these three, four matches, you know, at Melbourne? Because it seemed like you were handling the Grand Slam experience much better than you had in the past.

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, I will just keep going, keep working. Yeah.

I feel like I just need to learn that I don't need to think a lot about Grand Slams. Like, this is just another tournament and I just need to focus on my game and play like aggressive and don't care about win or lose. Just go there and just compete. And that's it.

I think I'm doing really better on the slams. Before it was really bad, and I couldn't handle all this pressure. But right now I don't feel any more this pressure from the Grand Slams.

I just feel, like, it's another tournament, just like,

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