“I just don’t want to face that hate again,” Sabalenka said Thursday. “We’re all people. We all can lose control over our emotions. It’s absolutely normal. Every time when I was really that close in that match today to completely lose it and start — I don’t know — yelling, screaming, smashing the rackets, I keep reminding myself that’s not an option.”

After praising Anisimova — an American seeded 13th who will play in her first major final on Saturday against Iga Swiatek — as “the better player,” Sabalenka spoke about the feelings she experiences following a setback.

“The first moment (is) always the worst one, because every time you compete at that tournament, and you get to the last stages, you think that you’re getting close to your dream,” said the 27-year-old from Belarus. “Then you lose the match, and you feel like, ‘OK, this is the end.'”

Sabalenka was hoping to become the first woman in a decade to reach four major finals in a row after winning the U.S. Open last year, then finishing as the runner-up at the Australian Open and French Open in 2025.

She also was trying to get to her first title match at Wimbledon.