Aryna Sabalenka felt the sting of her loss to Keys in Melbourne for a week, but is over it now

When you set your goals to the maximum, and fully accept and take ownership of all the pressures that come with being the world’s No 1 women’s tennis player, the fallout from difficult losses can be excruciating. We saw that in January, when Aryna Sabalenka, perched on the precipice of becoming the first woman to successfully complete an Australian Open singles three-peat since 1998, fell at the final hurdle to Madison Keys.

Two weeks later, Sabalenka can finally put that heart-sinking moment in her rearview mirror. In Doha, where she is the top seed and angling to stop Iga Swiatek from completing a four-peat, the 26-year-old is ready to hit the ground running in the second segment of her 2025 campaign.

There’s nothing to panic about. She’s still No 1, and still a three-time Grand Slam champion with the potential to win more in the not too distant future.

But she’s also human, and Sabalenka admitted that she needed some time to process her loss to Keys. To get so close to something so monumental and see it taken away, of course it would be tough.

“This one was the toughest one,” Sabalenka said of the 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 loss to the American, according to Reem Abulleil of the AFP. “I think for a week I was still thinking about that match.”

Sabalenka, who will face Ekaterina Alexandrova in the second round in Doha, says that after giving the matter much consideration there wasn’t really much she would have done differently. Keys was unplayable, and it happens.

No regrets, no complaints

“Honestly, looking back and thinking about those two lost games [of the match], I didn’t do anything wrong, she just played out of her mind, and it was her day, there’s nothing to regret,” Sabalenka said. “I think right now I’m fully recovered after that tough match.”

The mission remains the same for Sabalenka. She told the media she loved being No 1 in the world, because she wanted to test herself to see if she could thrive under the pressure of playing with a target on her back.

“I think we are all different,” she said in Melbourne. “But for me, just always been something about my character. I always liked to compete. I always liked to accept, like, really tough challenges.

“For me being the one to chase, I mean, I like it. I like that feeling. That’s what drives me and help me to stay motivated because I know that I have target on my back. I really like to have it. That’s why I work really hard, make sure that nobody can gets to me.”

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