World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka angrily smashed her racket after losing her Australian Open crown to an unexpected challenger, 19th seed Madison Keys, and then explained that she had needed to clear her head before making the traditional runner-up speech.

Aryna Sabalenka threw her racket on the sideline. She sat on her bench with a towel over her head. She then even briefly walked off the court before the trophy ceremony when her bid for a third consecutive Australian Open championship ended with a 6-3,

Madison Keys won her first grand slam title at the 2025 Australian Open, defeating No. 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka in the final on Saturday. Keys beat