Even in defeat, Aryna Sabalenka managed to capture the spotlight with her humor and charm during her runner-up speech at the BNP Paribas Open on Sunday, where she lost to Mirra Andreeva in the final.
In her speech, Sabalenka delivered some of her most memorable lines.
Two Runner-Up Trophies Equal One Win
Sabalenka, holding the smaller version of the BNP Paribas Open’s signature Baccarat Crystal trophy for a second time, playfully declared that having two trophies was better than one.
“I have a love-hate relationship with this place,” she joked, receiving applause from the crowd, including Andreeva. “I’ll just put this trophy on top of the other one and pretend it’s the winning trophy. It’s pretty much the same size.”
“When I Was Your Age…”
Earlier in the tournament, Sabalenka had compared facing Andreeva to playing against her 15-year-old younger sister. However, during her speech, she also took the opportunity to praise the teenager’s success and draw a comparison between their journeys.
“Congrats on having such a great team. If I had the same team at your age, I’d probably be a better player by now!” Sabalenka quipped, causing the audience to laugh. She then added, “Don’t look at my team! I have the best team right now. Well, before!” despite later joking that she “hated them right now.”
Reflecting on her own experience, Sabalenka acknowledged the challenges she faced in finding the right coaching team at a young age. “At your age, I was struggling with finding the right coach, but you’ve got it figured out much earlier—that’s why you’re doing so well. It’s amazing to see your success.”
A Friendly Challenge for the Future
Sabalenka then lightheartedly warned Andreeva, “I’ll meet you next time on court, and next time, it probably won’t go your way,” with a laugh.
A Look Back at Her Own Journey
Later, Sabalenka shared a more serious reflection on her past, admitting that at 17, she had “the wrong people” guiding her career. “Once I surrounded myself with the right people, I had more confidence, and everything was more calm. The atmosphere in my team became healthy,” she explained.
“I don’t have any regrets,” she added. “That experience made me more mature, and I learned a lot. But, of course, I wish I had been a little bit smarter at that age or listened to my family more.”
Andreeva’s Victory Speech
Meanwhile, Andreeva also charmed the crowd during her victory speech. In a playful moment, she thanked herself, mimicking a gesture Sabalenka had made in Dubai. Sabalenka couldn’t resist making funny gestures behind Andreeva as the young winner praised her own performance in the California desert.
“I’ve seen that before,” Andreeva remarked, perhaps referencing Sabalenka’s playful interruption of Elena Rybakina’s victory speech in Palm Springs two years ago.
In the end, Andreeva had her own playful farewell for Sabalenka, saying, “I’m sure there are lots of positives to take from these two weeks, so you should focus on that!”
