Sabalenka after her defeat in the Australian Open final: "I'm going to come back stronger and do my best next year".
Aryna Sabalenka came within a whisker of a third consecutive Australian Open title.
The Belarusian world number 1 came up short against Madison Keys (6-3, 2-6, 7-5) and missed the chance to become the first player to win the Australian Open three times in a row since Martina Hingis in the late 1990s.
Despite the disappointment of defeat, Sabalenka preferred to keep smiling as she presented the trophy.
"Congratulations Madison. What a tournament you had! You fought like a lioness to win this trophy. You played fabulous tennis.
Well done to you and your team. It's well deserved, and now you can enjoy the celebrations. I wanted to thank everyone who makes the tournament possible every year.
Thank you to all those who have made my stay in Melbourne so pleasant and made me feel really, really at home here.
And even though I didn't win the title this year, I'm going to come back stronger and do my best next year.
Thank you all for coming, it's been an incredible two weeks. I'm really enjoying playing in front of you.
You're wonderful people, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. As for my team, thank you for all your help during this fortnight. Do I really need to say anything to them?
Anyway, as always, it's your fault. I hate you and I don't want to see you for a week! On a more serious note, thank you for everything you do for me.
I think we did the best we could. But today, Madison played amazingly. There wasn't much I could do in this game.
Next time I play Madison, I'll play better tennis," said Sabalenka.
Australian Open 
Sabalenka just can't stop choking in the really big moments of majors.