BY EMMANUEL OGBONNA
Elena Rybakina completed a long-awaited redemption at Melbourne Park on Saturday, defeating world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 to win the Australian Open and capture the second Grand Slam title of her career.
The victory avenged Rybakina’s loss to Sabalenka in the 2023 final at the same venue and marked a defining moment in the 26-year-old’s resurgence at the top of the women’s game. Four years after falling short in an earlier Australian Open final despite taking the opening set, Rybakina again struck first — and this time finished the job.
Rybakina broke serve in the opening game and rode a commanding start to secure the first set, leaning heavily on a powerful and accurate serve. Sabalenka responded with the aggression and intensity that have defined her reign at the top of the rankings, lifting her level in the second set to force a decider.
Momentum appeared to swing decisively in Sabalenka’s favor early in the third set when she surged to a 3-0 lead. But Rybakina steadied herself, recalibrated her attack, and reeled off five consecutive games to seize control of the final. She served out the match with authority, sealing the championship with an ace on her first match point.
The triumph adds the Australian Open to the Wimbledon title Rybakina won in 2022 and makes her one of the few active players with multiple major championships. It also represents a sharp turnaround after a stretch in which her results dipped while Sabalenka surged, collecting three additional Grand Slam titles, including consecutive Australian Open crowns and back-to-back U.S. Open victories in 2024 and 2025.
Rybakina’s form began to shift late last season, highlighted by a win over Sabalenka at the WTA Finals in November. Since Wimbledon, she has accumulated more match victories than any player on tour, arriving in Melbourne having won 19 of her previous 20 matches. With Saturday’s victory, she has now taken 20 of her last 21.
Born in Moscow and representing Kazakhstan, Rybakina celebrated her win as the Kazakh flag was unfurled on court while she carried the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup around Rod Laver Arena.
“It’s hard to find words now,” Rybakina said during the trophy ceremony. “Of course I want to congratulate Aryna on her amazing results over the past couple of years. I hope we’re going to play many more finals together. It was a battle, honestly.”
She also paid tribute to her coaching team, including Stefano Vukov, who returned to the spotlight after a suspension by the women’s tour last year. Rybakina credited her support staff for helping her navigate a turbulent period and regain her confidence and consistency. Vukov was presented with a commemorative silver plate by tournament organizers as the champion’s coach.
“We had a lot of things going on,” Rybakina said. “I’m really glad we achieved this result. Hopefully we can keep going strong this year.”
For Sabalenka, the loss marked a second straight defeat in the Australian Open final, following last year’s unexpected loss to Madison Keys. Despite the disappointment, she acknowledged the challenge posed by Rybakina and remained optimistic about returning to contend again.
“Let’s hope next year is a better result for me,” Sabalenka said.
Statistically, the final reflected Rybakina’s controlled aggression. She struck six aces and, aside from brief lapses late in the second set and early in the third, consistently protected her serve, saving six of the eight break points she faced. Sabalenka’s trademark roars and self-encouragement grew louder as the match wore on, but Rybakina remained composed, letting her serve and clean returns dictate play.
After the final point, the two rivals embraced at the net. Rybakina raised her racket arm to the crowd, tapping the strings with her free hand, her calm demeanor giving way to a quiet but unmistakable triumph as she claimed the Australian Open title she had chased for years.
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