Aryna Sabalenka said she was proud to have reached three Australian Open finals in a row but admitted after losing Saturday's decider to Madison Keys: "It's trophy or nothing."
The world No 1 and two-time defending champion was favourite to beat Keys but the American 19th seed won 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 to clinch a first Grand Slam title.
It torpedoed Sabalenka's dreams of becoming the first woman for 26 years to win a third straight Melbourne Park singles crown.
"I think when you get to the point of finals, it's trophy or nothing. Nobody remembers the (losing) finalist," said the 26-year-old Belarusian, who is the reigning US Open champion.
"I mean, at this point, I go for titles.
"But of course I have to be anyway proud of myself with three finals in a row. That's something crazy.
"I hope that next year I'll come back as a better player and I'll hold Daphne (the trophy) one more time."
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Sabalenka was gracious in defeat, saying Keys was "super aggressive" in winning the first set and played towards the end of an absorbing final with "nothing to lose".
But in the immediate aftermath she admitted it had been a struggle to control her emotions.
She smashed her racquet and buried her head in a towel after her 20-match win streak at Melbourne Park was ended when it mattered most.
"There definitely was a bit of frustration because I was so close to achieving something crazy," she said.
"When you're out there, you're fighting, but it seems like everything is going not the way you really want to go.
"I just needed to throw those negative emotions at the end just so I could give a speech, not stand there being disrespectful."