"She's really good person, on and off the court" - Aryna Sabalenka hails 'nice and cool' Elena Rybakina after Indian Wells final loss

Aryna Sabalenka was all praise for Elena Rybakina following their thrilling encounter in the 2023 BPN Paribas Open final in Indian Wells. The pair faced off in their second final of the season following Sabalenka's maiden Grand Slam win at the Australian Open.

Walking into the Indian Wells final, the head-to-head was entirely in Sabalenka's favor as she had won each of their four previous meetings on the WTA tour. However, following her win over World No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the semifinals, Rybakina was determined to notch her first win over the World No. 2.

The pair were evenly matched throughout the first set as they fought for one break of serve apiece, forcing the set into a tiebreak. A riveting 17-minute long tiebreak followed in a similar manner until Aryna Sabalenka's 10th double fault of the match allowed the World No. 10 to convert her sixth set-point to win the first set. Rybakina then powered to a 5-2 lead in the second set, eventually winning the match 7-6(11), 6-4.

When asked about her relationship with Rybakina during the post-match press conference, Sabalenka admitted that while she didn't know Rybakina well, she had found her to be a pleasant and likable person, both on and off the court.

"I don't know her that good, but she seems very nice and cool girl, you know. She's really good person, I would say on and off the court. But I don't know her that well. But seems like she's very nice girl," Aryna Sabalenka said.

Aryna Sabalenka hopes to use Indian Wells final loss as motivation for success at Miami Open

Aryna Sabalenka loses the Indian Wells final.

After her tough loss in the Indian Wells final, Aryna Sabalenka expressed her desire to channel that disappointment into motivation as she prepares for the upcoming Miami Open.

"I think it's a good -- it's not good to lose, but I think this tough loss will motivate me more, because I don't like to lose in the finals. This is the worst, you know. So I wouldn't say that this loss is really good," she said.

She admitted that she would have felt more confident walking into the Miami Open had she won the title at Indian Wells. However, not one to be dismayed, the 24-year-old believes that the loss will help her stay focused, work harder, and fight for another title this season.

"But going to Miami, I think I will be more motivated instead of going as an Indian Wells winner. So, I mean, I hope that this tough loss will help me in the next matches to stay focused and keep working and keep fighting for another title in this season," she added.

Aryna Sabalenka will take on the winner of the match between Shelby Rogers and Sloane Stephens in her opening match at the Miami Open.