Resilient Rybakina Tops Sabalenka for Maiden Australian Open Championship

By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, January 31, 2026
Photo credit: Darrian Traynor/Getty

Spiraling through a five-game slide, Elena Rybakina teetered on the edge of oblivion in this Australian Open final.

A resilient Rybakina responded with a rousing title run.

Rybakina reeled off six of the last seven games stunning world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 to capture her maiden Australian Open championship with a committed comeback.

Firing two forehand winners to reach championship point, Rybakina threw down quiet thunder slashing her sixth ace to seal the title in two hours, 18 minutes.

“Well, it’s incredible achievement,” Rybakina said. “Super happy and proud. It was really tough battle. Yeah, I didn’t expect to turn it around. Got some opportunities.

“Yeah, Aryna is a very tough opponent, but I’m super happy that this time I’m holding the trophy.”

It is the second Grand Slam championship for Rybakina, who defeated Ons Jabeur to win the 2022 Wimbledon crown.

“It’s hard for me to find the words now, but of course I want to congratulate Elena for amazing results for the last couple of years,” Rybakina said. “I know it’s tough, but I just hope we’re going to play many more finals together. Of course, congrats to your team for all your improvements. A great job you’ve done.

“Thank you to you guys [fans] for such an incredible atmosphere. It was a battle and honestly your support kept us going. Thank you so much to Kazakhstan.” 

Bringing her best against the best, Rybakina is the fourth woman to defeat the world’s Top 2-ranked players—No. 1 Sabalenka and No. 2 Iga Swiatek—en route to the title. Rybakina is the first woman since Naomi Osaka in 2019 to beat three Top 10 opponents and win the AO championship.

It was Rybakina’s 10th straight Top 10 win. Sabalenka remains world No. 1, but Rybakina solidified her status as world’s most dangerous player.

“Of course, they’re tough opponents, and they have great results, and for so long they are at the top and it stable,” Rybakina said. “I’m happy that now I’m getting back to this level, and hopefully I can be stable again throughout the whole season and keep on showing great tennis, good results.

“It’s a lot of tough matches I had here. Yeah, I’m glad that the opportunities which I was getting during the match, I managed to take it and, yeah, win in the end.”

A red-hot Rybakina scored her 20th victory in her last 21 matches, avenging her 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 loss to Sabalenka in the 2023 Australian Open final.

Tonight, the 26-year-old Rybakina vanquished the ghosts of that defeat with bold strikes and a biting first serve. 

The fifth-seeded Kazakh handed Sabalenka her first loss of the season—and first defeat since Rybakina repelled Sabalenka 6-3, 7-6(0) in the WTA Finals title match on November 8th in Riyadh. 

The 2025 finalist Sabalenka suffered her fourth Grand Slam final loss a year after she fell to Madison Keys in a gripping three-set AO final.

“I think it was, like, really aggressive tennis overall the whole match, and I feel like in that moment she kind of like had nothing to lose, so she stepped in and she played incredible points,” Sabalenka said of seeing her 3-0 final-set lead slip away. “She was serving, so it was just one break.

“I don’t know if I have any regrets. Maybe I should have tried to be more aggressive on my serve, knowing that I have a break and put pressure on her, but she played incredible. She made some winners. I made couple of unforced errors. Of course, I have regrets. You know, when you lead 3-Love and then it felt like in few seconds it was 3-4, and I was down with a break. So it was very fast.”

The retractable roof over Rod Laver Arena was closed creating ideal conditions for the big-serving Rybakina.

In a statement start, Rybakina rallied from Love-30 down in the first game, battering out errors to break for a 1-0 lead.

Opening her first serve game with an ace, Rybakina roared through a love hold for 2-0 lead.

Highly effective execution saw Rybakina rock Sabalenka back on her heels at times as she won eight of the first nine points on serve stretching her lead to 3-1.

In the eighth game, Sabalenka had a shot to break earning double break point.

Then, the WTA ace leader brought out the eraser. 

Whipping wicked wide serves, Rybakina roared back saving both break points to hold for 5-3.

Serving for the first set at 30-all, Rybakina caught a break when Sabalenka’s forehand return crashed into tape and crawled back on her side. 

On set point, Rybakina drew a floated forehand snatching a one-set lead after 37 minutes of play.

A resolute Rybakina controlled the direction of rallies and beat Sabalenka down with her backhand. Though Rybakina served only 48 percent in the opening set, she won 10 of 15 second-serve point.

It was the first set Sabalenka, who carried an 11-record onto court (22-0 in sets), surrendered all season.

The winner of the first set had won 12 of the 14 prior meetings between the pair, including Rybakina’s  6-3, 7-6(0) win over Sabalenka in the WTA Finals championship match on November 8th.  

Applying pressure early in the second set, Sabalenka earned three break points in the second game.

Showing steely spin and a stinging serve, Rybakina repelled all three break points. The 6’ Kazakh stood tall holding firm in a 10-minute game that spanned six deuces for 1-all.

Tested to deuce for the first time since the first game, the top seed slammed a couple of heavy serves holding for a 4-3 second-set lead.

Serving down 4-5, Rybakina blinked. 

The 2022 Wimbledon winner badly botched a dropper into net to start the game. When Rybakina yanked a forehand wide, Sabalenka gained triple set point. 

Firing a forehand down the line, Sabalenka scored her first break of the night at love to seize the second set, 6-4, and force a decider after 87 minutes of play. Sabalenka served 66 percent and won 18 of 19 first-serve points in the second set.

Both women left the court to reset. This final, like their 2023 AO final, would go the distance.

Rybakina couldn’t find a first serve to start the third set and Sabalenka made her pay. Banging a backhand return winner down the line, the Belarusian broke for a 2-0 second-set lead, one hour, 42 minutes into this final. Rybakina made just one of six first serves in that game.

Contesting her seventh straight Slam hard-court final, Sabalenka saved a break point reeling off her fifth straight game for a 3-0 lead.

In the corner of the court, Rybakina’s team asked her to exude “more energy” and she absolutely delivered. Bouncing on her toes between points, Rybakina went into blast mode while Sabalenka tightened up a bit.

Credit Rybakina for battling through a tough deuce hold then breaking back to get back on serve at 2-3. Rybakina showed tenacity and toughness registering another deuce hold for 3-all.

When the world No. 1 clipped the top of the tape with a backhand down the line, Rybakina had two more break points. Sabalenka buried a flat forehand into the middle of the net. 

Remarkably, Rybakina, who had been on the verge of going down Love-4, earned her fourth consecutive game for a 4-3 lead and the balls in her hand.

“She lost her focus, I was 3-Love [up],” Sabalenka said. “I lost my focus, it was, like, 3-4. She did a better job in handling that pressure moment, that’s for sure.”

Ultimately, Sabalenka said Rybakina won this final rather than she lost it.

“I think that definitely she has more confidence, and she goes for her shots without any
doubt, I would say,” Sabalenka said. “But, like, I still had opportunities, but the
level was incredible. I feel like she just play more aggressive.

“Yeah, I mean, she was able to build great confidence starting from Finals. Definitely better, better player. As a result, she got a slam, which is incredible achievement.”

Closing in style, Rybakina ripped one final ace and sealed her second Grand Slam championship with a wide smile of a winner, who made the most of her second shot at the title.

“Last time I was close, but Aryna played really well that match. I remember that she stepped in. She went for her shots,” Rybakina said of her near miss in the 2023 AO Final. “She was serving
really well, and I think she was even risking a little bit because the second serve was going almost as first.

“I knew that today if I get a chance to lead that I will need to try also kind of some risky shots and just go for it. Not definitely wait for any mistakes or even get to the long rallies.

“Yeah, it is great, and again, it’s amazing to hold this trophy this time.”