Aryna Sabalenka’s frustration boiled over immediately after her defeat to Elena Rybakina in the US Open 2026 women’s singles final. The Belarusian, who missed out on a third consecutive title at Flushing Meadows, was caught on camera telling a TV cameraman to “f*** off” moments after the match. Rybakina defeated Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 to claim her maiden US Open title. After the loss, Sabalenka embraced the new champion before returning to her chair, where she smashed her racket in frustration. A TV camera operator then moved closer to capture the emotional moment.
Sabalenka appeared unhappy with the camera being pointed at her and tried to wave the operator away with her hand. She then shouted an expletive at the cameraman, prompting the camera to quickly move away before focusing on Rybakina and her celebrations with her team and family.Despite her emotional reaction, Sabalenka composed herself enough to attend the trophy ceremony and deliver her runner-up speech. Fighting back tears, she admitted that giving the speech was the “last thing” she wanted to do at that moment, but congratulated Rybakina for her performance and praised her supporters.

The contrasting scenes captured the emotions of a dramatic US Open final. While Rybakina celebrated her breakthrough triumph in New York, Sabalenka was left to deal with the disappointment of losing a final she had hoped would deliver a historic three-peat.