Aryna Sabalenka recently turned to her champagne stash following her defeat to Donna Vekic in the second round of the 2024 Dubai Tennis Championships.
Having returned to the court for the first time since her successful defense of the Australian Open title, Sabalenka, seeded second with a first-round bye, faced a challenging opening match against Vekic.
Despite a strong start, the World No. 2 faltered, ultimately succumbing to a 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-0 loss in a match lasting two hours and 22 minutes.
Vekic’s formidable performance included 14 aces and a dominant final stretch, where she won 12 out of the last 13 games, securing victory over the Belarusian.
With a history of successful encounters, Vekic maintained her edge over Sabalenka, now leading their head-to-head record 6-2 after their Dubai clash.
In the aftermath of her defeat at the Dubai Tennis Championship, Sabalenka took to social media to share a snapshot of her champagne collection.
In a light-hearted manner, she suggested that it was an opportune moment to uncork a bottle, humorously insinuating that the champagne would help alleviate the disappointment of her early exit.
“Feel like this is the day 🥂 😂 ,” Sabalenka captioned her Instagram story.
