World No.1 wins Brisbane International, warns she can improve before Australian Open

“There are so many things I can improve on and that’s the beauty of the sport; there’s always a small percentage or area to improve. I definitely feel great about my game, but I also know there’s a lot to improve and work on.”

The winner appeared to kiss both biceps after the winning point. But he rejected the idea that this was a flippant counter to Kostyuk’s claims. “Out of context” comments made last year about some players having higher testosterone levels.

“I had a lot of aggressive wins during the match, I wanted to see the speed, so I was just making fun of my team,” Sabalenka said.

“When I go into the match it’s all about tennis, I think about my tennis and the things I need to do to win. It doesn’t matter if it’s Marta Kostyuk or Jessica Pegula, I still go out there and try to do my best and fight for the cup.

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“I have nothing to prove and I’m just competing as an athlete.”

While no handshakes were shared between the two, Kostyuk used his second speech to pay an emotional tribute to those who suffered during the Russia-Ukraine war. He did not mention Sabalenka in his speech.

Asked if he felt a responsibility to keep the conflict at the forefront, Kostyuk said: “I think it’s important for me to use my platform in the right way, and my platform is Ukraine.”

“I think it’s really important to talk about it, and I think I have such visibility that a lot of people follow me and respect me, and I’ve learned through the war that it’s really important to stand behind things and talk about them.

“No matter what, if that’s what you believe in, you should talk about it. The reality in the country is very different, so I feel like I can’t ignore it and I have to share it. In my case, it’s not right not to talk about it.”

While Sabalenka eventually escaped the contest, Kostyuk showed that there were ways to put the champion out. It will be enough to be brave, courageous and not afraid to make mistakes.

Trailing 3-0 in the first set, Kostyuk’s chance to pull back came when he got the chance to come back on the second serve point after the first serve.

Sabalenka’s serving power was undoubtedly an advantage; He often reached speeds 20 to 30 km/h faster than his Ukrainian opponent and will undoubtedly be his important weapon at the Australian Open as well.

But there were also key moments when Kostyuk was fearless enough to attack opening serves on the front foot; A pair of instant winners and another return to Sabalenka’s feet paved the way for her comeback.

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He took the risk of scrambling for the sidelines and baselines. While the gamble didn’t always pay off, with Sabalenka winning 80 percent of her first serve points, she conceded that she wasn’t getting her share of the rewards and needed to change tactics, allowing her to return to the contest.

The 23-year-old, who managed to break into the top 20 of the WTA’s live rankings with her efforts, defeated three stars in the top 10 – Amanda Anisimova, Mirra Andreeva and Jessica Pegula – to reach Sunday’s final and believed she was not far from challenging for a major trophy.

“My forehand slice on the return wasn’t working that well today and I felt like he would get the advantage very quickly in the rally, so I didn’t want to give him that opportunity,” Kostyuk said.

“I was trying different things, I wasn’t as sharp or fast today. I was doing a little more than usual because the pressure it puts on the field, if you play a little shorter you win almost immediately.” [for Sabalenka].”