Elena Rybakina wins maiden Australian Open title, beats Sabalenka

Elena Rybakina captured her maiden Australian Open crown with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 win over Aryna Sabalenka in Melbourne. The Kazakh, who won Wimbledon in 2022, claimed her second Grand Slam title after avenging her 2023 final defeat

Melbourne: Elena Rybakina defeated Aryna Sabalenka to capture the Australian Open women’s singles crown, avenging her loss to the Belarusian in the 2023 final, where she had won the opening set before going down in three sets.

The 26-year-old Kazakh took two hours and 18 minutes to prevail 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in the championship match, striking 28 winners en route to her maiden Australian Open crown and second Grand Slam title. Rybakina, who won Wimbledon in 2022, had not dropped a set at Melbourne Park until Saturday.

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After Rybakina took the first set 6-4, Sabalenka broke in the final game of the second set to force a decider.

Sabalenka started the final set strongly, holding serve and then breaking Rybakina. The Kazakh struggled with her first serve, landing only 54 per cent. Sabalenka raced to a 3-0 lead, but Rybakina fought back, breaking to trail 3-2 and then levelling at 3-all.

Despite facing a break point in her next service game, Rybakina saved it and held as Sabalenka’s return went long. The world No 5 then broke again when Sabalenka’s forehand found the net. Serving at 5-3, Rybakina sealed the title with an ace.

Last season, Rybakina failed to progress beyond the fourth round of any Slam and did not reach a WTA 1000 final.

Sabalenka had been in strong form all fortnight, reaching her eighth final from her past 12 Slams after beating 12th seed Elina Svitolina 6-2, 6-3 in the semifinals. The world No 1 joined Evonne Goolagong Cawley and Martina Hingis as the only women to make four straight Australian Open finals.

Had she won, Sabalenka would have joined nine other greats, including Maria Sharapova and Hingis, with five majors.