Rybakina Seizes Melbourne Crown in a Thriller: Australian Open Glory After a Hard-Fought Battle
31 January 2026
Final Triumph on Rod Laver Arena
Elena Rybakina delivered an exceptional performance at the Australian Open to claim her first Melbourne title, defeating world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in a thrilling final that finished 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.
Rybakina’s return to Rod Laver Arena came three years after her painful defeat in the same final, proving this time she could tilt the odds in her favor with a big win.
With this victory, the 26-year-old adds another trophy to her resume after Wimbledon 2022, establishing herself as one of the players capable of breaking Sabalenka’s dominance on hard courts.
During the match, Rybakina started strong and broke Sabalenka’s serve in the opening game, but Sabalenka fought back to level the score in the second set after a few errors from Rybakina.
Nevertheless, the Kazakh star kept her composure in the decisive moments and won the final set to seal the title.
Rybakina spoke after the match: "It’s hard to put it into words now, but Sabalenka has been playing great over the past two years, and I hope we meet in more finals in the future."
She added: "Thanks to our fans; your support kept us fighting for every point. A special thanks to Kazakhstan for the huge support."
With this victory, Rybakina confirms again that she is a top-class player and writes a new chapter in the ongoing rivalry between the two players in Grand Slam events after a series of exciting clashes in recent years.
Match Flow and Reactions
In the match, Rybakina opened strongly and broke Sabalenka’s serve early, but the Belarusian rallied to level the match in the second set, making the title contest gripping until the final point.
Rybakina’s win adds a breakthrough on hard courts to Sabalenka’s dominance and signals a continued high level in women’s tennis this season.
Punchline 1: If tennis had a GPS, Rybakina would have found the winning route before the ball even left Sabalenka’s racket.
Punchline 2: That final was so tense, even the net needed a timeout. Sabalenka blinked; Rybakina took the trophy.
