Elena Rybakina delivered a stunning reversal on the sport’s biggest stage, overturning a decisive final-set deficit to defeat world number one Aryna Sabalenka and capture her first Australian Open title. The victory added another painful chapter to Sabalenka’s recent history in Grand Slam finals, while underlining Rybakina’s growing reputation for composure under pressure.
The match appeared to be slipping away from the Kazakh fifth seed when she fell 3-0 behind in the deciding set. Sabalenka, chasing a fifth major singles title and a third Australian Open crown in four years, had seized control after breaking serve late in the second set and again early in the third. Momentum, however, soon shifted dramatically.
Rybakina capitalised ruthlessly. She reeled off five consecutive games, exposing Sabalenka’s mounting tension as unforced errors crept into the Belarusian’s play. Three such mistakes proved costly, handing Rybakina a crucial second break and the lead for the first time in the set.
In the middle, Sabalenka also lost her cool and her emotions were all over the place. He kicked something near her box before kicking her racket across the court. It indicated that Sabalenka is losing the mental war and that arguably put more pressure on her. Rybakina, on the other hand, was extremely composed and that did the trick for her.
Rybakina wins 6-4,4-6,6-4
From there, the 26-year-old faced a charged atmosphere and an opponent desperate to recover, Rybakina held firm, sealing the contest with an ace to complete a 6-4 4-6 6-4 triumph. The win avenged her defeat to Sabalenka in the 2023 Australian Open final and secured her second major title, following her Wimbledon success in 2022.
For Sabalenka, the loss marked her third defeat in the past four Grand Slam finals, following setbacks in last year’s Australian Open and French Open title matches. Despite spending 75 weeks as world number one and continuing to set the standard in women’s tennis, especially on hard courts, where she has now reached seven straight major finals, Sabalenka has met a familiar obstacle.
Rybakina has increasingly held the upper hand, winning seven of their last nine meetings on hard surfaces and establishing herself as the one opponent Sabalenka struggles to solve.