“John McEnroe Played Much Better When Angry” - Patrick Mouratoglou Contrasts Legend With Aryna Sabalenka After US Open Outburst

Patrick Mouratoglou recently compared Aryna Sabalenka's emotional outburst at the US Open final to John McEnroe's famous on-court aggression.

Sabalenka's US Open campaign ended in the final after she lost to Elena Rybakina. The Kazakh registered a 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 victory, ending Sabalenka's 20-match winning streak at Flushing Meadows. Following the match, the World No. 2 was fined $7,500 by the USTA for her emotional outbursts during and after the final.

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During the opening set, Sabalenka launched a ball into the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd after Rybakina broke her serve. Following the defeat, she shook hands with her opponent before furiously smashing her racket against the court. Days later, Mouratoglou shared his thoughts on Sabalenka's aggression and compared her with McEnroe, noting that the American often played better when angry, while the Belarusian tends to lose her tennis. Taking to LinkedIn, he wrote:

"What fascinates me is that this final featured the two best players in the world, with opposing personalities. One is fire, the other is ice. I don't think I need to tell you who is who. It reminds me of McEnroe and Borg. Björn, always in control, without saying a word. John, breaking rackets, getting angry. A big difference: McEnroe played much better when he was angry. When Aryna gets angry, she loses her tennis."

He added:

"I'm not here to give advice. However, for me, emotional management is the only reason she is not winning Grand Slams at this moment. It's sad to see the same story repeating. If she fixes that, she will go from being the number 2 who doesn't win major tournaments to someone who wins many more and returns to number 1."

Following her heartbreaking US Open final loss, Aryna Sabalenka is now scheduled to compete at the China Open, which is set to take place from Sept. 30 to Oct. 11.

Aryna Sabalenka weighed in on her loss at the US Open final

After losing to Rybakina in the US Open final, Aryna Sabalenka spoke about the defeat during the trophy ceremony. She was visibly emotional as she addressed the crowd and thanked her team and supporters. She also congratulated Rybakina, calling her victory well deserved.

"The last thing I can, I want to do right now is give a speech, but I'll try my very best. Thank you, everyone. Thank you for your support throughout two weeks. It was amazing playing in front of you all. And obviously I'm disappointed, but I want to congratulate Elena on an incredible year, on incredible results and well deserved. Enjoy it. Have fun tonight, tomorrow, and till the end of the season so I can win some titles. Thank you to my team, to my friends," Aryna Sabalenka said.

The World No. 2 also thanked the event's sponsors and everyone who supported her throughout the tournament. She admitted that she could have played better and vowed to give her best next year.

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