BY EMMANUEL OGBONNA
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka underlined her dominance at the Brisbane International by claiming her second consecutive title at the tournament and the 22nd singles trophy of her career, defeating Marta Kostyuk in straight sets on Sunday to complete a flawless week ahead of the Australian Open.
Sabalenka, appearing in her third successive Brisbane final, looked at ease on the Pat Rafter Arena court as she dispatched the Ukrainian 6-4, 6-3. The victory continued the Belarusian’s strong start to the season and reinforced her status as one of the leading contenders for the first Grand Slam of the year, which begins next Sunday in Melbourne.
The final opened at a high tempo, with Kostyuk refusing to be overawed by the occasion. The Ukrainian came out aggressively, targeting Sabalenka’s second serve and using delicate drop shots to disrupt the rhythm of the top seed. Kostyuk managed to recover an early break, briefly unsettling Sabalenka and drawing loud support from the crowd as the set tightened.
Sabalenka, however, responded with the intensity and composure that have become hallmarks of her game. She raised the physical demands of the rallies, repeatedly pushing Kostyuk deep behind the baseline in the stifling Brisbane humidity. Her heavy groundstrokes and superior court coverage gradually wore down her opponent, allowing her to seize control and close out the opening set in 40 minutes.
The physical toll became more evident in the second set as Sabalenka stepped up the pressure. Mixing raw power with well-timed changes of pace, she forced Kostyuk into a growing number of errors. Sabalenka broke serve early and never looked back, maintaining her relentless tempo to seal the match and complete the tournament without dropping a set.
The on-court action was followed by a noticeably strained post-match atmosphere, reflecting the complicated relationship between the two players. After match point, Sabalenka briefly looked toward Kostyuk and kissed both of her biceps, a gesture widely interpreted as a reference to comments Kostyuk had previously made regarding Sabalenka’s physicality. Kostyuk has said those remarks were taken out of context, but tension between the pair has lingered since their contentious meeting at the 2023 French Open, when Kostyuk declined to shake hands with Sabalenka.
That tension carried into the trophy ceremony. Kostyuk used her runner-up speech to speak emotionally about Ukraine and the ongoing hardship faced by people in her country, but she notably did not mention Sabalenka by name.
“I want to say a few words about Ukraine,” Kostyuk said. “I play every day with a pain in my heart. There are thousands of people who are without light and warm water right now. It’s minus 20 degrees outside, and it’s very, very painful to live this reality every day.”
She added that she was deeply moved by the support she received from Ukrainian fans throughout the week, finishing with the phrase “slava Ukraini,” or “glory to Ukraine,” which drew strong applause from the crowd.
Sabalenka, for her part, offered congratulations to Kostyuk and expressed hope that they would meet again in another final. She also lightened the mood with a playful comment directed at her boyfriend, Georgios Frangulis, who was watching from her player’s box.
“Hopefully soon I will call you somehow else,” Sabalenka said with a smile. “That just put extra pressure, right?”
Earlier in the day, Daniil Medvedev captured the men’s singles title, also earning the 22nd championship of his career. The Russian defeated American Brandon Nakashima 6-2, 7-6 (1), controlling much of the match with his trademark consistency from the baseline. Although Nakashima pushed Medvedev into a second-set tiebreak, the former world No. 1 was ruthless when it explains most, racing to a commanding lead and closing out the final in convincing fashion.
With both titles decided, the Brisbane International concluded as a key tune-up event, offering clear signals of form and fitness as the tennis world now turns its full attention to the Australian Open.
Original article
Comments