Dubai-based Rybakina beats Sabalenka to win Australian Open

Dubai-based Elena Rybakina exacted revenge on world number one Aryna Sabalenka to claim a nail-biting Australian Open final on Saturday, winning her second Grand Slam title.

The big-serving Kazakh fifth seed held her nerve to pull through 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne in 2 hours 18 minutes, avenging her 2023 final loss to Sabalenka.

At 26, the Moscow-born Rybakina now adds the Melbourne triumph to her 2022 Wimbledon victory, further cementing her status among the women’s tennis elite.

For Sabalenka, it was another major disappointment. The Belarusian, who won last year’s US Open but lost in the French Open and Melbourne finals, had reached her fourth consecutive Australian Open final. She was visibly emotional as the match concluded.

With the roof closed due to drizzle, Rybakina immediately broke serve and held comfortably for a 2-0 lead. She faced two break points at 4-3 but saved them with a powerful ace, leaving Sabalenka frustrated.

The second set saw multiple tense rallies. Sabalenka seized the upper hand, breaking early and levelling the match 1-1. Rybakina, however, regrouped in the decider, winning four consecutive games from 3-3 to seize control and eventually serve out the victory with her sixth ace of the match.

Rybakina had already beaten Sabalenka in the season-ending WTA Finals and was in strong form throughout the Australian Open, defeating second seed Iga Swiatek in the quarter-finals and sixth seed Jessica Pegula in the semis.

The two finalists are familiar rivals, having met 14 times previously, with Sabalenka winning eight of those encounters. Despite being the favourite, Sabalenka could not overcome Rybakina’s ice-cool composure in the decider.

Rybakina, who switched to represent Kazakhstan in 2018 for financial reasons, continues to rise as one of the tour’s most consistent performers.