After a very tense match spanning 2 hours and 18 minutes, Elena Rybakina stunned Aryna Sabalenka to win her maiden Australian Open title (6-4, 4-6, 6-4).
Beating the likes of Iga Swiatek and Jessica Pegula, Rybakina set up a blockbuster final against World No. 1 Sabalenka.
Having won the tournament twice before, Sabalenka was always among the favourites. However, questions have been raised over her consistency as she lost more finals last year (5) than she won (4). Some of her major losses included the Australian Open, Roland Garros and Indian Wells, where she was beaten by teenage sensation Mirra Andreeva.
The pair recently met in the WTA Finals where Rybakina was victorious, claiming the biggest prize money payout in women’s sporting history ($5m). Of their past 5 matches, Rybakina has won 3.
It was a tense match: Rybakina took the first set 6-4 before Sabalenka narrowly won the second to set up a decider. When Sabalenka took a 3-0 lead, it seemed inevitable that she was going to win – however, the crowd witnessed an incredible comeback. After a few words with her coach, Rybakina turned the game around. She fought back to win the final set 6-4 – sealing the win with an ace and sending the crowd wild. The Kazakhstani’s nonchalant reaction demonstrated her calm introverted personality.
Sabalenka won her maiden Australian Open title against Rybakina in 2023, so it was fitting that Rybakina got her revenge 3 years later for her first victory in Melbourne. This means that Sabalenka has lost back-to-back finals in the competition.
Rybakina’s three year wait for a second Grand Slam – after winning Wimbledon in 2022 – finally ended in front of a sold-out crowd at the Rod Laver Arena. The 26-year old’s stats this tournament were astonishing: she only dropped a single set in the entire tournament, as well as winning the most aces in the competition with 47.
She now boasts 12 WTA titles and has moved up to No. 3 in the WTA rankings. Rybakina has won 20 of her last 21 matches and will hope to continue this remarkable run deep into the 2026 season.
