Aryna Sabalenka brings the jokes through disappointment in Indian Wells runner-up speech

Aryna Sabalenka has a way with words, and even when she finishes second-best at a tennis tournament, she comes out a winner on the a microphone.

The latest example? Her runner-up speech after losing to Mirra Andreeva in the final of the BNP Paribas Open on Sunday.

Watch Sabalenka's speech in full in the video above, and read on for some of her most quotable quips.

Two runner-up trophies = one winner's prize

File this one under #GirlMath. Holding the smaller version of the BNP Paribas Open's signature Baccarat Crystal trophy for a second time, Sabalenka said that two are, in fact, better than one.

"I kind of have a love, hate relationship with this place," she began, to rousing applause from the Stadium 1 crowd (and Andreeva). "I'll just put this trophy on top of another one, and just pretend it's going to be a trophy for the winning. It's going to be quite similar size."

Advertising

Sabalenka brought the jokes after losing in the Indian Wells final for the second time in three years.

Sabalenka brought the jokes after losing in the Indian Wells final for the second time in three years.

"When I was your age..."

Earlier in the tournament, Sabalenka said that facing Andreeva reminded her of her 15-year-old younger sister. But, as she praised the teenager's victory, Sabalenka found a way to compare Andreeva to herself.

"Congrats on having a great team. If I had the same team you have at your age, I’d probably be a better player by now!" she said, to roars of laughter from the fans at another perceived slight to coach Anton Dubrov, Jason Stacy, and hitting partner Andrei Vasilevski.

Read more: Aryna Sabalenka tells team she doesn't want to see them "for the next week" after AO loss

"Don’t look at my team! I have the best team right now. I mean before!" she continued, despite later quipping she "hated them right now."

"At your age, I was struggling with finding the right coach, but you've got it so much earlier; that's why you're doing so well. It's amazing to see your success."

Advertising

But, the world No. 1 left Andreeva with a parting shot, joking that she might not be so happy when they face the next time.

"I'll meet you next time on court, and probably, next time, it's not going to be your way," Sabalenka said, laughing.

Later, Sabalenka reflected seriously on what she said in her speech, saying that she had "the wrong people" in her corner when she was 17.

"Finally when I was able to get rid of those people and, how to say, I surrounded myself with the right people, you kind of like you have more confidence and everything is more calm and the atmosphere in the team is very healthy," she said.

"I don't have any regrets, because it's my experience," she added. "Because of that experience, I'm much more mature right now and I know things, but of course I wish I would be a little bit smarter in that age or I would listen to my family a little bit more."

Hands up, baby—hands up!

Andreeva's victory speech was also charming, as she again thanked herself to close her speech like she did when triumphing in Dubai. But Sabalenka played a guest-starring role by making funny gestures behind Andreeva as the youngster praised her for how she played in the California desert.

"I've seen that before," Andreeva quipped, perhaps referencing when a cheeky Sabalenka hijacked Elena Rybakina's victory speech in Palm Springs two years ago. In the end, Andreeva left Sabalenka with a parting shot of her own.

Read more: "I'll make sure it was the last one": Cheeky Sabalenka interrupts Rybakina's Indian Wells speech

"OK, I am sure there are a lot of positives and great things to take from these two weeks, so you should do that!"