The U.S. Open Women's Final and the Art of the Runner-Up Speech

Tennis star Aryna Sabalenka had a big smile on her face the last time she spoke at the U.S. Open. That was one year ago, when she had just won the whole tournament. But in 2026, she lost the final to Elena Rybakina and had to fight back tears. Then she had to do something almost no other sport asks of its athletes — give a speech right after losing the biggest match of her year.

Sabalenka told the crowd, 'The last thing I want to do right now is give a speech, but I'll try my very best.' Those words showed just how hard the moment was for her. Losing a Grand Slam final is already heartbreaking, but having to speak about it in front of thousands of fans makes it even harder. In most sports, the losing side can walk off and deal with their feelings in private. Tennis players don't get that chance.

Public speaking expert Michael Ronayne says fans are drawn to these moments because they feel real. 'We love people's pain, but on the other hand, we like the idea that that pain might be temporary,' he said. He added that fans want players to be open and honest. 'We're asking them to bleed in front of us,' he explained. That kind of raw emotion is very hard to fake.

Even though players are in great pain, they are expected to follow unwritten rules. They must congratulate their opponent, thank their team, and stay calm. Novak Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, said this is never easy. 'It's not always easy to suppress that and put diplomacy ahead,' he said. But he added that it is important to respect the player who just beat you.

When players break those unwritten rules, things can go wrong fast. Sabalenka learned this after the 2025 French Open final against Coco Gauff. She called the match, the conditions, and her own performance 'terrible' — three times. Many people felt this was unfair to Gauff, who had played a great match to win the title. The speech was widely criticized.

Some players have delivered runner-up speeches that people still remember years later. American player Leylah Fernandez lost the 2021 U.S. Open final on the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. She spoke to the New York crowd and said she hoped to be 'as strong and as resilient as New York has been the past 20 years.' The crowd loved her for it, and the moment became one of the most touching in recent tennis history.

Andy Murray is often called the best ever at runner-up speeches — even though he had to give eight of them. After losing to Roger Federer at the 2010 Australian Open, a tearful Murray joked, 'I can cry like Roger, it's just a shame I can't play like him.' Two years later at Wimbledon, after losing his fourth straight Grand Slam final, he simply said, 'I'm getting closer,' before his voice broke. Many fans cried along with him.

Some players write their speeches down in advance, while others go with the feeling of the moment. Naomi Osaka once forgot to congratulate her opponent because she felt 'in a daze.' She now sometimes writes notes beforehand, but even that doesn't always work — at the 2019 Australian Open she said she had notes but still forgot what to say. Young player Mirra Andreeva says fans might sometimes see her 'mumbling a little bit' before she starts.

The person holding the microphone also has a tough job. Broadcaster Mary Carillo has interviewed many players right after big matches and likes what she calls the 'sweaty interview,' when players' feelings are most raw. One of her most surprising interviews was with Martina Navratilova in the 1980s, who explained her loss in a very personal and unexpected way during a live broadcast. Carillo ended the segment with a clever joke that got a lot of laughs afterward.

Former world No. 1 Jim Courier now interviews players at the Australian Open and feels deep sympathy for athletes in these moments. He said it is 'awfully hard' to put on a good face after your dreams have been dashed. 'It's almost cruel what we ask our athletes to go through,' he said. But former champion Maria Sharapova believes how a player handles a tough loss shows their true character — and might even help them become a champion someday.