Aryna Sabalenka addressed the anger she showed after losing the 2026 US Open final, describing her reaction as a release of “aggression and disappointment” following a difficult championship defeat.

The four-time Grand Slam winner fell 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 to Elena Rybakina in New York on Saturday evening, ending her bid for a third straight US Open title. It was also another major final without a title for Sabalenka, who has not won a Slam since lifting the trophy at Flushing Meadows a year ago.

The result will also cost Sabalenka the world No 1 ranking. Rybakina is set to take over the top spot next week, with Sabalenka having held it since October 2024.

Sabalenka’s emotions were plain to see after match point. She hit a ball into the crowd in Arthur Ashe Stadium and later smashed her racket.

Asked about those outbursts during her post-match press conference, she was direct about the difficulty of the moment.

“It’s really tough to control your emotions when you lose in a final of a Grand Slam and when you were trying to go for three-peat (three US Open titles in a row),” said Sabalenka.

She then explained that keeping everything bottled up would have made the situation worse.

“If I were to hold it inside, right now or on the court, I wouldn’t be able to say a word. I would go not really nice over there. I wanted to let go of all that aggression and disappointment outside.”

During the trophy presentation, Sabalenka also offered praise for Rybakina and acknowledged her own disappointment.

“The last thing I want to do right now is give a speech but I’ll try my best.

“Obviously I’m disappointed, but I want to congratulate Elena on an incredible year, an incredible result.

“Well deserved. Enjoy it tonight, and have fun. So I can win some titles!

“I wish I could have performed a little bit better, but I guess there’s next year.”

Ben Shelton has added another major milestone to his growing career, advancing to his first Grand Slam final at the 2026 US Open. The American had previously fallen in two semifinal appearances, at the 2023 US Open and the 2025 Australian Open, before finally getting past the last-four stage in New York by defeating fellow American Frances Tiafoe at Flushing Meadows.

Shelton’s background is closely tied to tennis. He was born on October 9, 2002, in Atlanta, Georgia, to Lisa Witsken Shelton and Bryan Shelton. His father played professionally and built a respected career before moving into coaching. Bryan Shelton reached the doubles final of the 1992 French Open, made the fourth round of Wimbledon in 1994, won two ATP Tour titles and climbed to a career-high ranking of No 55 in March 1992. He also played more than 200 professional singles matches.

After his playing days, Bryan Shelton coached at Georgia Tech, where the women’s team won the NCAA Women’s Tennis Championship in 2007. He later guided the Florida Gators men’s team, which won the NCAA Championship in 2021. In 2023, he stepped away from college tennis to coach his son.

Lisa Shelton was also a strong junior player, though she did not pursue a professional career. Ben’s family connections run deeper still through his uncle Todd Witsken, who reached No 43 in the world and made notable runs at the Australian Open, US Open and Wimbledon. Shelton’s sister Emma also played tennis at the college level.

Shelton has spoken warmly about his father’s influence, saying, “We are definitely competitive in a lot of things, but I definitely have to owe my success to him,” and later describing him as someone who “doesn’t sugarcoat things.” He also credited his mother, sister and girlfriend in a post-match speech, saying, “My whole extended family, especially my mom, my sister, and my girlfriend, they’ve been with me every single day, even though they haven’t been here in Canada. And I’m just really blessed to have the people I have in my life.”

Shelton did not begin with tennis. He first played American football as a quarterback and only took up the sport seriously at 11. His junior and college path was strong, leading to the NCAA Singles Championship in 2022 before he turned professional later that year. He has since won two ATP Masters 1000 titles, taking the 2025 Canadian Open and defending it in 2026.

Juan Martin del Potro has offered a clear view on the current rivalry shaping men’s tennis, saying Carlos Alcaraz brings qualities that set him apart from Jannik Sinner. In his assessment, the Spaniard possesses an extra dimension that goes beyond results and technique.

This season marks 17 years since del Potro stunned the sport at the US Open by winning the only Grand Slam title of his career. He produced one of the most memorable finals of that era, beating five-time defending champion Roger Federer 3-6, 7-6(5), 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-2. Federer had served for a two-set lead and later stood just two points from victory in the fourth set, but del Potro found a way through.

The triumph, however, came with a heavy price. Since that breakthrough, the Argentine’s career has been interrupted repeatedly by injuries. The problems began in 2010 with surgery on his right wrist for a tendon injury, and over the next 12 years he went through eight more surgeries along with many other physical setbacks.

A fractured knee in 2019, after he had reached another US Open final the year before, effectively ended his career. Following several operations, he was left unable to climb stairs without pain and depended on daily medication to live comfortably.

“The day I lifted the US Open trophy after defeating Federer was the happiest day of my life. If I had known everything that it would ultimately cost me, I would have thought twice,” said the former Grand Slam champion during an interview with outlet Corriere della Sera.

Although he has played only one professional match since that injury, his retirement match at the 2022 edition of the Buenos Aires ATP 250 tournament, del Potro remains willing to speak about the game. On Alcaraz and Sinner, he said, “Jannik reminds me a lot of [Novak] Djokovic because of his characteristics. The elasticity, the speed, the solidity from the back of the court and his intelligence,” and added, “Carlitos is a special being; he has something more. He has the empathy and the ability to connect with people. He has Latin blood and a smile capable of winning over anyone.

“I would have to ask him not to play drop shots, because he wouldn’t reach any!”

He also echoed concerns about the demands of the calendar, backing the idea that players must listen to their bodies. “Carlitos is right when he says he will play the tournaments he wants and not those in which he is asked to be present,” he added. “I think this will become a widespread trend among the top players on the circuit. It’s important to listen to your own body. My mistake, unlike Alcaraz, was not giving my wrist all the time it needed to fully recover.

“These guys have to perform at their best every week of the year, and that is too much. But they are so superior to the rest that, even if they are away from competition for a long time, they barely drop in the rankings.”