"Hard to accept but it is not that I lost easily" - Aryna Sabalenka on 'complicated' feelings about narrow defeat to Iga Swiatek in Madrid Open final

Aryna Sabalenka has voiced her feelings on her narrow loss to Iga Swiatek in the women's singles final at the Madrid Open.

Sabalenka and Swiatek had faced each other in the final of last year's Madrid Open as well, but on that occasion, it was the Belarusian who came out on top. The WTA World No. 2 could very well have repeated the feat this time around. She had three match points.

However, Swiatek's dogged determination proved crucial in the end, with the Pole saving three match points and going on to lift the trophy after a three-hour eleven-minute epic. The final scoreline was 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(7) in Swiatek's favor.

At a press conference following the conclusion of the trophy presentation ceremony, Sabalenka said that it was "complicated" for her to reflect on her match point opportunities. However, the two-time Grand Slam winner also said that she would move on quickly from the loss as she has the Italian Open to prepare for.

"I think it's more complicated, especially when you remember your thoughts on match points and the way you played. It was very tight, I think it's more difficult. In my case, I'm going to suffer one day, tomorrow I'll leave to Rome, so I will forget it quickly," Sabalenka said.

The Belarusian looked forward to her 26th birthday as well. Sabalenka also expressed her disappointment with the defeat, but confessed that she did as much as she could have to win the final.

"Tomorrow is my birthday, I hope to be in a good mood. Tomorrow I turn 26. It is a hard defeat to accept, but at the same time it is not that I lost it easily or that I did not give my best. Today I gave everything, I can only be proud of myself and hope that next year it falls on my side," Sabalenka added.

"It has been very difficult to find myself" - Aryna Sabalenka

Aryna Sabalenka in action against Iga Swiatek in the women's singles final of the 2024 Madrid Open

Sabalenka made a resounding start to the season as she won the Australian Open title for the second year in a row. However, she struggled to build on her success, experiencing early exits across the Dubai Tennis Championships and the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.

Personal tragedy struck the Belarusian in March, with her former boyfriend having died of apparent suicide ahead of her Miami Open campaign. While Sabalenka played in Miami, her run was short-lived as she fell in the third round to Anhelina Kalinina.

However, her form picked up at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, where she narrowly lost to Marketa Vondrousova in the quarterfinals. After her run to the final of the Madrid Open, Sabalenka expressed the difficulty she faced in terms of rediscovering her form. The Belarusian was optimistic that her displays in Madrid would push her to strive for improvements at the Italian Open.

"I have suffered the two months after the Australian Open, they have been intense. It has been very difficult to find myself again, but I am super happy to return to my level here in Madrid. From now on, I can only go to better. I'm looking forward to the next two weeks, I hope to do a little better than here," Aryna Sabalenka told the press.

The main draw matches at the 2024 Italian Open are slated to start on Monday, May 6.