Aryna Sabalenka was defeated 6-2, 6-3 by
Iga Swiatek in the final of the 2024
Rome Open as she tasted back-to-back final defeats against the World No.1. A match-up that as of late she will be sick of the sight of.
But Sabalenka as ever saw the funny side in her post match speech as she didn't blame herself. She instead blamed her team for her defeat as she pointed to them in the stands and sarcastically said that it was all their fault while laughing.
“This time I’m not gonna forget, I’m gonna start with Iga. Congrats on an incredible couple weeks. I hope we’re gonna make it to the final of Roland Garros and I’m gonna get you there. Just kidding. At least I’ll try to do better than today," said Sabalenka in her post final speech.
"Of course last but not least I wanna thank my team for helping me lose another final, that's all your fault," she then quipped as her coaches in the stand sarcastically put up heart signs."
But on the positive end, she has continued her reign as World No.2 snuffing out the threat of Coco Gauff for yet another week. She has also continued her superb clay court form and unlike the men's tournament which remains a cloudy mist due to injuries, two players in the women's draw are above the rest. This with a few more including Gauff and Elena Rybakina keeping pace.
Sabalenka saw off Danielle Collins, Jelena Ostapenko, Elina Svitolina, Dayana Yastremska and Katie Volynets. She came close to losing to Svitolina in particular and also sustained a lower back injury during that match. This perhaps made it even more remarkable that she was able to reach the final. But after a competitive first set, she fell flat at a certain juncture.
Locked in at 3-3, she was broken which spelt the beginning of the end as Swiatek won three games in a row to seal the deal in just over an hour and a half and became one of only a few to seal the Madrid-Rome double. For Sabalenka, she remains titleless since the Australian Open. But still in superb form.