Australia Open Final 2026: Elena Rybakina beats Aryna Sabalenka to claim second Grand Slam
New Delhi: Elena Rybakina clinched the Australian Open title on Saturday, defeating top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, avenging her loss to Sabalenka in the 2023 final.
Arriving with 46 hardcourt Grand Slam match wins from her last 48 matches, four-time major champion Aryna Sabalenka found her rhythm early in the second set. Rybakina, however, held her composure and saved three breakpoints to level at 1-1.
Sabalenka won the second set due to Rybakina’s careless forehand, setting up a tense final set that would be decided by the player who could handle the pressure the best.
Rybakina wins second Grand Slam title
Having defeated Rybakina from a similar position in the 2023 final, Sabalenka surged ahead with a series of winners to take a 3-0 lead. Yet, Rybakina fought back, erasing the deficit, breaking for 4-3, and ultimately holding her nerve to claim victory, adding to her 2022 Wimbledon title.
The triumph marked Rybakina’s second Grand Slam title. The fifth seed, who won Wimbledon in 2022, had entered the Australian Open final four years ago as the only major champion in the match.
While Sabalenka went on to claim three more Grand Slam title, which includes back-to-back Australian Open victories and the 2024 and 2025 U.S. Open
From the outset of the match, Rybakina played aggressively, displaying a powerful serve that produced six aces. Apart from conceding two breaks, at the end of the second set and the start of the third, she successfully saved six of the breakpoint opportunities she faced.
Rybakina joins elite list with first two slam titles on grass and hard Court
Former Australian Open champion Jennifer Capriati presented the trophy to Rybakina, who with this victory became only the sixth player in the Open Era to win her first two Grand Slam titles on different surfaces, grass and hard court. She also achieved a rare feat, becoming the first woman since Naomi Osaka in 2019 to secure the Australian Open by overcoming three top-10 opponents in the same tournament.