The remarkable moment furious US Open finalist Aryna Sabalenka repeatedly slams her racket into the ground after her heartbreaking defeat to teen sensation Coco Gauff
- Aryna Sabalenka took out her frustration on her racket after losing in the US Open final
- The Belarusian was defeated in New York by American superstar Coco Gauff
- Sabalenka already had racket problems in her semi-final victory last week
Aryna Sabalenka took out her frustration on her tennis racket after losing to Coco Gauff in the US Open final.
The Belarusian won the first set 6-2 at Flushing Meadows before 19-year-old Gauff won the next two sets to claim her first Grand Slam title.
Sabalenka was in tears on the pitch after the defeat after letting victory slip through her fingers, and let her emotions get the best of her as soon as she returned to the dressing room.
A series of unforced errors allowed the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd to cheer Gauff home for success.
After the match, Sabalenka said: “Most of my time I managed my emotions quite well, congratulations Coco, you played incredibly in the final.”
Sabalenka can be seen slamming her racket into the ground after returning to the locker room
The 25-year-old Belarusian then dumps the damaged racket in a nearby bin
However, as the 25-year-old returned to the dressing room, she gave an insight into how she felt about the defeat.
Sabalenka is seen taking her racket out of her bag before brutally slamming it into the ground four times.
The racket clearly bends out of shape due to the force with which it hits the surface.
Aryna Sabalenka was in tears on the court after losing the US Open final to Coco Gauff
American teenager Gauff recovered from losing the first set to secure her first Grand Slam title
The Australian Open winner then dumps the broken racket into a nearby bin.
Sabalenka was involved in another racket misdemeanor earlier at the US Open, throwing it at her coach after a slow start to her semi-final victory against Madison Keys.
She said: ‘It’s all their (the coach’s) fault. No no no. … We talked about if I need to let go of those emotions, I need to do that. Otherwise I’m just eating myself from the inside out. So I was just like yelling, screaming, cursing at them.
‘They know I still love them. It’s for the better, and for a good reason.’