Rybakina Clinches Australian Open Title in Three-Set Victory Over Sabalenka
Melbourne, The Gulf Observer: Elena Rybakina captured the Australian Open women’s singles title on Saturday with a hard-fought 6–4, 4–6, 6–4 victory over world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, avenging her loss to the Belarusian in the 2023 championship final.
The fifth-seeded Rybakina, who previously won Wimbledon in 2022, secured her second Grand Slam crown after rallying from a difficult start in the deciding set. After breaking Sabalenka in the opening game and claiming the first set, the 26-year-old dropped the second and fell behind 3–0 in the third. She responded with five consecutive games to seize control of the match and sealed the victory with an ace on her first championship point.
Four years ago, Rybakina had also reached the Australian Open final but fell in three sets after winning the opening set. This time, she maintained her composure under pressure, relying on a powerful serve and steady returns to outlast the top-ranked Sabalenka.
The triumph marks a resurgence in form for Rybakina, whose results had dipped following her Wimbledon success. While Sabalenka went on to claim three major titles, including consecutive Australian Open crowns and U.S. Open victories in 2024 and 2025, Rybakina did not reach another Grand Slam final until this tournament. A win over Sabalenka at the WTA Finals last November proved pivotal, as she entered the final with the most match victories on tour since Wimbledon and extended her winning run to 20 of her last 21 matches.
Born in Moscow and representing Kazakhstan, Rybakina celebrated on court as her national flag was unfurled and she paraded the trophy before the crowd.
“It’s hard to find words now. Of course, I want to congratulate Aryna on her amazing results for a couple of years,” Rybakina said during the trophy presentation. “I just hope we’re going to play many more finals together. It was a battle, honestly.”
Rybakina also acknowledged her coaching team, including Stefano Vukov, who received a silver plate from tournament organizers in recognition of his role as the champion’s coach.
For Sabalenka, the defeat marked her second consecutive final loss in Melbourne, following an upset defeat to Madison Keys last year. “Let’s hope next year is a better result for me,” she said.
Rybakina’s strong serving performance included six aces, and she saved six of the eight break points she faced. While Sabalenka’s vocal self-encouragement grew as the match progressed, Rybakina maintained a calm and composed demeanor.
At the conclusion of the match, the two finalists embraced at the net, as Rybakina raised her racket arm in triumph to acknowledge the cheering crowd, closing a memorable championship performance.
