Australian Open news: Elena Rybakina reigns supreme over Aryna Sabalenka to clinch Melbourne title
World number five Elena Rybakina secured her second major title with a thrilling three-set victory over world number one Aryna Sabalenka.
Here, Sports News Blitz writer Lorenzo Gagliotta breaks down what happened at the first women’s Grand Slam showpiece of 2026.
Rybakina’s remarkable run continues
A rematch of the 2023 Melbourne final produced a spectacle for tennis fans across the globe.
World number five Rybakina started things off incredibly strong, finding her rhythm early on and looking to capitalise on any of Sabalenka’s mistakes.
Sabalenka grew into the match in the second set, but the Kazakh international managed to soak up the pressure and thrive when it mattered most.
Rybakina’s impressive returns made her game even more decisive when the top seed was pushing to get back into the match.
She then went on a terrific five-game win streak after falling to 0-3 in the third set, a moment which completely shifted the momentum in the championship battle.
An ace for match point saw Rybakina clinch her first Australian Open and second Grand Slam title in style in front of a sold-out crowd at Rod Laver Arena.
The 26-year-old’s record in finals speaks for itself as she has now won four of her last five.
Following this success, Rybakina moves up in the rankings to world number three.
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No redemption for Sabalenka
Sabalenka headed into her seventh major final looking to secure a third Australian Open title in three years.
She started off on the back foot but managed to regain composure in the second set, putting on a solid show thanks to her service game as she looked to disrupt Rybakina’s flow.
The world number one started the final set in full force, with her powerful groundstrokes from the baseline and nifty shots near the net doing damage.
However, some costly errors and growing tensions allowed Rybakina to come back into the match and take charge from there, eventually finding enough rhythm to triumph.
Ultimately, it was a moment of disappointment for Sabalenka as she made it back-to-back defeats in Australian Open finals.
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What’s next for both?
After a thrilling tournament that was filled with memorable matches and a tight final, itself full of hard-hitting winners and crafty shots, the women’s tour is as wide open as it could be in terms of Grand Slam hopes for the year ahead.
Many tipped Sabalenka to come out victorious at Melbourne Park, but if anyone was going to be able to outplay her, it was Rybakina.
It is a fantastic start to the season for the Kazakh as she recovers her form and looks to build on past successes.
For the Belarusian, she will look to bounce back even stronger.
Yet, although the 27-year-old still sets the bar for the rest of the women’s tour – appearing in four of the last five major finals – evidence shows that with vast improvements to one’s game, there’s an opportunity to catch her out on big occasions.
It is thus, by all accounts, set to be an exciting year for women’s tennis.
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