A large pair of mirrored sunglasses couldn’t hide Aryna Sabalenka’s emotions after her crushing US Open semifinal loss.

Sabalenka saw a 4-2 lead in the third set disintegrate against top seed Iga Swiatek, who won 16 of the final 20 points to stamp her spot in the final against Ons Jabeur. Sabalenka arrived at her post-match press conference in glasses and a hat tucked low as she answered questions for several minutes, with her voice cracking at times.

Sabalenka was asked if she was “proud” of this performance, compared to last year’s U.S. Open semifinal, when she lost to Leylah Fernandez in three sets.

“Actually right now, I really don’t feel that way, but my team keeps telling me I have to be proud of myself for these last few months,” said Sabalenka, who as a Belarusian was banned from Wimbledon.

“I don’t feel that way, though. I feel in these three semifinals [also including 2021 Wimbledon] I had opportunities and I didn’t use them, I guess. I am trying to think everything happens for a reason and I guess it make me really stronger. In the next semifinal, I will be much stronger as a player.”

Sabalenaka won the first set 6-3 before Swiatek responded with a dominant 6-1 second set. Sabalenka’s often dominant serve abandoned her in the final games, allowing Swiatek — a two-time French Open champion — to seize control of the match in a stunning final blitz.

To open her press conference, the 24-year-old Sabalenka was asked how she was feeling.

“Not really good,” said Sabalenka, who credited Swiatek’s play in the “key moments” as the difference in the match.