Elena Rybakina summoned her finest tennis on a Melbourne night that felt destined for resolution. She unravelled Aryna Sabalenka in the opening set, absorbed the Belarusian’s response in the second, then reclaimed control to outplay her when it mattered most. Three years on from her frustrating defeat to Sabalenka in the 2023 Australian Open final, Rybakina delivered a statement match: she belongs in tennis’ biggest stages, proof that she possesses not only the talent, but the method, to conquer them.
Here, we debrief on how the Australian Open final between Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka unfolded.
Elena Rybakina was the first finalist to strike hard: she broke Aryna Sabalenka’s serve early in the opening set and immediately placed the Belarusian on the back foot. From that moment on in the first set, Sabalenka was forced to chase the scoreboard. Rybakina’s height and clean ball-striking proved decisive, particularly when serving – where the wide delivery repeatedly pulled Sabalenka out of position. The Kazakh played the set with method and restraint, while Sabalenka leaned into her trademark emotional intensity. Calm and composed, Rybakina briefly turned to her corner for guidance on absorbing Sabalenka’s raw power, before introducing the drop shot to disrupt the deep baseline exchanges. Serving at 5–4, Rybakina faced a last push from a desperate Sabalenka, eager to force a tie-break. But that urgency tipped into overreach for the world No.1. A handful of mistimed winner shots followed, and on set point for Rybakina, an errant Sabalenka forehand drifted long, handing the Kazakh player a deserved first set and early command of the final.
The second set opened with a statement push from Sabalenka, who held serve with authority, sealing the opening game with an ace. On Rybakina’s delivery, she immediately applied pressure, dragging the Kazakh into a long second game that swung back and forth through repeated deuces. Sabalenka’s aggression carved out opportunities, but it was Rybakina’s precision on serve — aided by her opponent’s high-risk shot selection — that allowed her to escape and steady the set. At 3–3 came the point of the match: a sublime exchange of backhand depth, feathered drop shots and frantic net coverage, eventually claimed by Sabalenka, to the delight of Rod Laver Arena. From there, the margins remained razor-thin. Yet at 5–4, with the set slipping away, Sabalenka found one last surge. She broke Rybakina’s serve with fearless intent and carried the momentum through to close out the set, forcing a decisive third and resetting the final.
The world No.1 was never going to fade quietly. This was, after all, an Australian Open final — and the greats tend to settle these occasions in three acts, not two. The decider set began on Sabalenka’s terms. A ferocious backhand exposed a rare flicker of vulnerability from Rybakina and earned the break, which Sabalenka duly consolidated to surge into a 3–0 lead. For a moment, the script appeared written: hold serve, apply pressure, close the door.
Yet, Rybakina had other ideas. Drawing once more on the composure and clarity that carried her through the opening set, she began attacking Sabalenka’s serve with intent, turning defence into offence with clinical efficiency. Two breaks followed in swift succession. Sabalenka’s power, now tinged with urgency, drifted into overreach — winner attempts clipping the net rather than the lines. Cold, methodical and unflinching, Rybakina wrestled back control of the final, reshaping the match on her own, unforgiving terms.
Momentum had firmly shifted. At 4–3 up, Rybakina stepped to the line with composure, held for 5–3, then watched Sabalenka cling on with a nerveless service game of her own. One final test remained. Serving at 5–4, championship point in hand, Rybakina could not hesitate. And she didn’t: she threw an ace down the court and sealed it. In that instant, she claimed her first Australian Open crown and the second Grand Slam title of her career, at 26 years of age.
The calmness, the momentum-grabbing and the strategy to take out the world No.1 women’s tennis player are traits that will be remembered for years to come in Australia.
