Rybakina beats Sabalenka to win Australian Open Title

Elena Rybakina claimed her second Grand Slam title with a win over world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the Australian Open final.

She has now won 10 straight matches against top-10 opponents and has recorded more match wins than any other woman since Wimbledon. Asked about those numbers, she admitted she was not even aware of them.

“I didn’t even know these statistics to be honest,” Rybakina said with a laugh. “The reason… I mean, I’ve been playing well. I have a very aggressive style of the game. So I think that’s definitely the key.”

The final itself was a rematch of the 2023 Australian Open championship, where Sabalenka had come out on top. This time, Rybakina flipped the script. She explained that she knew passive tennis would not be enough against Sabalenka’s power.

“I knew even today if I get a chance to lead I will need to try some risky shots and just go for it,” she said. “Not wait for any mistakes or even get into long rallies.”

Despite lifting the trophy, Rybakina downplayed any talk of being unbeatable and pointed to steady improvement over the past few weeks.

“I don’t feel unbeatable,” she said. “I just played in Brisbane and lost the match there. I feel like throughout a couple of weeks I improved. Each match was different. I’m very proud of the work we did with the team and that I found my best form here at a Grand Slam.”

With the win, questions quickly turned to the world No. 1 ranking. Rybakina did not shy away from her ambitions.

“Yeah, I have big goals,” she said. “Of course time will show. But definitely we will keep on working. Hopefully I achieve my goals.”