Aryna Sabalenka broke down in tears under her towel after losing the Australian Open final to Madison Keys.
The world number 1 slammed her racket to the ground in frustration after succumbing to the American 3-6, 6-2, 5-7.
It denied Sabalenka a third consecutive win at the Aussie Open after winning the tournament in 2034 and 2024.
The Belarusian had to reach the final the hard way, beating her good friend Paula Badosa in the semi-finals, but couldn't muster the strength to beat one of the biggest hitters in the game.
After congratulating Keys, Sabalenka covered her face with her towel in front of the 15,000 fans at Rod Laver Arena before storming off to her dressing room.
This was Keys' first Grand Slam final since 2017 and her first Major victory, marking an upset against the highly-fancied Sabalenka.
Aryna Sabalenka slams her racket on the ground after losing the Australian Open final
She hid her face under her towel in an emotional moment after losing to Madison Keys
Keys, the world number 19, claimed her first Grand Slam title after her first final in eight long years
Keys, the world number 19, becomes the fourth-oldest woman to win her first Grand Slam crown at the age of 29.
“I've wanted this for so long, I never knew if I'd be in this position again,” Keys said.
The 29-year-old admitted that she had 'thought about that match endlessly for the past eight years' and that it was clear from the start that there would be no repeat.
Rather, it was doubles defender Sabalenka who started tensely, double-faulting twice in the opening match to concede a break.
At 1-3 she double-faulted again to accept the break point and Keys cut back a Sabalenka-esque forehand slice that gripped the court and bounced too low to handle.
In the next game, Keys played an exceptional crosscourt backhand drop shot, a note of pure poetry amid the heavy metal. Carlos Alcaraz would have been proud of such a shot and it was a weapon that simply wasn't in Keys' arsenal a year ago.
As coach and husband Bjorn Fratangelo said before the final: “Sharpening the ax can go a long way, but sometimes you just need new tools.” Well, that defensive forehand shot that soared like a bird above water was a new tool and that drop shot was another tool.
If Keys needed any bulwark against complacency, she could remember the 2023 US Open semifinal, when she lost to Sabalenka in a heartbreaker after winning the first set 6-0.
Keys is finally a Grand Slam champion, fulfilling the destiny that has been reserved for her since she turned pro at the precocious age of 14
After saving a match point to beat world No. 2 Iga Swiatek in the semifinals, Keys eliminated world No. 1 Sabalenka 6-3, 2-6, 7-5
What a credit to the two that they have been able to combine marital bliss with the turbulent relationship between coach and player. It could all have gone so wrong; it doesn't matter much whether a racket is Wilson or Yonex if your wife buries it in your skull.
Sabalenka made her way back into the set and increased her ball speed.
With a score of 5-3 and 30-30, Sabalenka had the upper hand. A break here would have forced Keys to serve for the set after losing three games in a row. But a fourth double fault chose the most inopportune moment to arrive, with Keys smoking a backhand down the line to take the set.
Sabalenka had at least accomplished what Swiatek had failed to do in the second set of the semifinals: she had stopped the bleeding and created a speed bump in front of the rolling Keys station wagon.
She missed a number of big chances in the first game of the second set, on Keys' serve, an overhead and, on break point, a simple pass.
“Let's go tiger, come on girl,” said a voice from the crowd and Sabalenka broke to take the lead, slamming a backhand winner. She played faster and flatter, forcing Keys to defend (which isn't likely) or attack from less promising positions.
Sabalenka now turned up the volume, a roar of effort turning into a shout of triumph as she ripped a passing shot and caused a double break on her way to squaring the match.
Those were two fairly one-sided sets and now we were hoping for a nerve-wracking decider. The exceptional serve continued, with 10 holds in a row and zero break points. Both women saw it as Aussie football; some of the shots were breathtaking.
Keys had longed for this; longed so deeply for the confirmation of a great title that it paralyzed her
As the final stage approached, neither woman showed an ounce of fear and took the big opportunity when it was available.
The best of all came when Keys served at 5-5, 30-30 – a point where the pressure was on.
Sabalenka drilled a forehand straight to her and Keys got low and fired a half-ball reply that should have left scorch marks on the blue court.
This forced Sabalenka to serve to stay in the match for the second time and Keys hit a first serve, setting up a clean backhand winner for a 0-30 lead. She attacked again at 15-30 and brought home two championship points.
One big Sabalenka serve landed, then another, but this time Keys was over it and hit that backhand down the line again. It came back, but there was no fear, no doubt and no nerves.
That ferocious forehand that has been her calling card since her teenage years has struck once; it struck twice and it was over.
