By Richard Pagliaro | @TennisNow | Sunday, March 9, 2025

Photo credit: Matthew Calvis

Aryna Sabalenka went to pieces after Madison Keys dethroned her as Australian Open champion. 

A seething Sabalenka splattered her Wilson Blade to the hard court after a courageous Keys dethroned the two-time defending champion 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 in an inspirational AO showdown pitting premier power players that escalated into a classic on Rod Laver Arena.

This week in Indian Wells, Sabalenka it’s taken her weeks to process that defeat and pick up the pieces, emotionally, after coming up slightly short in the AO final classic. 

Shattering her Wilson stick was Sabalenka’s physical expression of heartbreak.

“I’d say that the final in Australia [I] was really heartbroken,” Sabalenka told the media in Indian Wells. “It was very difficult to recover after that one, and Middle East I was kind of like, in my thoughts, I was trying to understand.

“I was always thinking about that match. It was, like, probably my mistake, but I think I had to go through, I had to realize couple of things. I had to kind of like step back and start everything over again.”

Lingering hangover from Melbourne cost Sabalenka in the Middle East swing where she suffered another gut-wrenching loss.

Ekaterina Alexandrova edged world No. 1 Sabalenka 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(5) in Doha before WTA ace leader Clara Tauson swept the Belarusian out of Dubai.

The top-seeded Sabalenka opened Indian Wells with a 7-6(4), 6-3 win over Mccartney Kessler.

Playing with more positive energy, the woman with the tiger tattoo says she’s no longer haunted by Melbourne and has regained her hunger in the desert.

“Of course the final wasn’t the match I’m really happy about,” Sabalenka told the media in Indian Wells. “So I’d say it’s a little bit like up-and-downs, but right now I start feeling better. I’m hungrier than I was in Middle East.”

These days instead of smashing her racquets, Sabalenka has been getting her kicks playing soccer on the grassy field next to the practice courts in Tennis Paradise.

Will the sunnier disposition translate to Sabalenka’s second Indian Wells in the last three years?

“Right now, I’m definitely feeling better and that final was in the past,” Sabalenka. “Just good experience, great lesson, and hopefully it will never happen again.” ”