Watch: Aryna Sabalenka shows up at her US Open press conference wearing huge mirrored sunglasses to hide her tears after Iga Swiatek loss 

Aryna Sabalenka was in line to reach her first ever Grand Slam final on Thursday, winning the first set 6-3 against Iga Swiatek in their semifinal clash at the 2022 US Open. But the World No. 1 fought back to take the second 6-1 rather comfortably.

With everything to play for in the decider, it was the Belarusian who drew first blood, breaking the Pole early to take a 2-0 lead. Swiatek, not one to let go so easily, earned a break of her own, only to be broken back again to give the World No. 6 a 4-2 lead.

Only two games away from accomplishing the biggest feat of her young career, the former World No. 2, unfortunately, fell victim to her own nerves. The World No. 1 held serve comfortably before proceeding to break Sabalenka's next serve to love. Swiatek then held her own service game without facing a break point. Serving to stay in the match, the Belarusian went down 0-40 and Swiatek pounced on her second match point to send the 24-year-old packing with a 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 scoreline.

Sabalenka appeared to have taken the loss in her stride during the contest, bidding adieu to her fans at Arthur Ashe Stadium with a wide smile. At her press conference afterwards, however, the enormity of the situation caught up with the Belarusian.

She showed up wearing huge mirrored sunglasses, a feeble attempt at masking her emotions and preventing the press from spotting her break down in tears. It should be noted, however, that the sixth seed did not shy away from taking any questions and responded to them all like a champ.

"My team keeps telling me that I have to be proud of myself, but I don't feel that way" - Aryna Sabalenka

Aryna Sabalenka at the 2022 US Open

When asked at the press conference if she was proud of herself for reaching as far as the semifinals at the 2022 US Open, Aryna Sabalenka instantly answered in the negative, saying that she did not feel that way at all.

As much as her team assured her that she did so well at Flushing Meadows, the Belarusian herself was too disappointed at her most recent loss to see that and was of the opinion that she could have gone even further if she had simply taken her chances.

"Right now I don't feel that way, but my team keeps telling me that, yeah, I have to be proud of myself, what I have done in the last months, I would say," Aryna Sabalenka said. "But I don't feel that way. I feel like in these three semifinals I had so much opportunities and I didn't use it."

At the same time, Sabalenka saw sense in what her team told her, remarking that she hoped the loss would make her stronger in the coming days and the next time she was in a Grand Slam semifinal, she could use this experience to her benefit.

"And I guess I'm trying to think that everything happen for a reason, and I guess it just make me really stronger," Aryna Sabalenka said. "I guess, like, in the next semifinal, I will be much stronger as a player."

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