Rybakina overcomes No.1 Sabalenka for maiden Australian Open title

Elena Rybakina produced a composed performance to defeat world number one Aryna Sabalenka in a dramatic three-set final and claim her first Australian Open title.

The fifth seed recovered from a 3-0 deficit in the deciding set to secure a 6-4 4-6 6-4 victory, avenging her defeat to Sabalenka in the 2023 final and lifting her second Grand Slam trophy following her Wimbledon success in 2022.

Sabalenka appeared in control after breaking Rybakina early in the third set as she chased a third Australian Open title in four years. However, momentum shifted as the Belarusian tightened under pressure, allowing Rybakina to reel off five consecutive games to turn the match in her favour.

Rybakina showed impressive composure as the finish line approached, closing out the contest with an ace to seal victory. For Sabalenka, the loss marked a third defeat in her past four Grand Slam finals, following previous disappointments at the Australian Open and French Open last year.

Despite Sabalenka’s continued dominance on hard courts and her 75-week run at the top of the rankings, Rybakina has increasingly emerged as a difficult opponent for her. The Kazakh has now won seven of their past nine meetings on hard courts.

Rybakina’s route to the title underlined her current form. She defeated world number two Iga Swiatek and sixth seed Jessica Pegula en route to the final and became the first player since Naomi Osaka in 2019 to win the Australian Open by beating three top-10 opponents from the quarter-final stage onwards.

She has now won 10 consecutive matches against top-10 players and boasts more victories than anyone else on the WTA Tour since the end of Wimbledon last year, with 38 wins and just one defeat in her past 21 matches.