Fifth seed Rybakina defeats Sabalenka to win 2026 Australian Open final
By Elegbede Abiodun
Fifth seed Elena Rybakina beat world number one Aryna Sabalenka in a gripping three-set final to capture the Australian Open women’s singles crown.
The 26-year-old Kazakh, born in Moscow, secured a hard-fought 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 victory at Rod Laver Arena, marking her second Grand Slam title and her first Australian Open triumph.
Rybakina took control early, breaking Sabalenka in the opening game and closing the first set 6-4 in just 37 minutes.
“Serving at 4-3, the 26-year-old Rybakina saved two break points: the first with an ace, and the second with a 182km/h serve out wide that foiled Sabalenka,” observers noted.
After claiming the set, Rybakina celebrated with a small fist pump, setting the stage for a high-stakes battle.
The world number one responded in the second set, winning 6-4 to force a decisive final set. “Sabalenka certainly hoped so, and was eager to preserve her streak of avoiding straight-sets losses at majors since the 2020 US Open,” match reports highlighted.
Both players delivered intense baseline rallies and net exchanges, refusing to yield on serve, keeping fans on the edge of their seats.
Rybakina dominated the third set 6-4, overcoming an early 0-40 deficit at 5-6 to clinch the match. She sealed her victory with a championship point ace as Rod Laver Arena erupted in applause.
“It was a battle,” Rybakina said after the match. “I’m really proud. It’s really a Happy Slam.”
The win makes Rybakina just the sixth player in the Open Era to win her first two majors on grass and hard court, joining Amelie Mauresmo, Lindsay Davenport, Maria Sharapova, Martina Hingis, and Venus Williams. She is also the first to claim the Australian Open women’s singles title by defeating three top 10 players since Naomi Osaka in 2019.
Rybakina, who won Wimbledon in 2022, received the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup from former champion Jennifer Capriati.
“I’m really glad that we achieved this result … hopefully we can keep on going strong this year,” she said, acknowledging her coaching and support team.
The players embraced at the net after the final point. “I know it’s tough, but I just hope that we’re going to play many more finals together,” Rybakina said of Sabalenka.
Sabalenka, gracious in defeat, congratulated her opponent: “I want [to] congratulate you on an incredible run, incredible tennis. Let’s hope that next year, Daphne [is] going to be ours, right?”
Entering the final, both players were the first women’s singles competitors at a major to reach the final without dropping a set since Wimbledon 2008, and the first to do so at Melbourne Park since 2004. The match also served as a rematch of the 2023 Australian Open final, when Sabalenka triumphed over Rybakina in three sets.
Under a closed roof, the 26-year-old struck 28 winners in 2 hours and 18 minutes to secure her victory, demonstrating resilience and tactical precision.
Rybakina’s victory cements her status as one of the sport’s rising stars, and she now joins the ranks of elite champions who have conquered both grass and hard courts in their first two majors.
