Game. Set. History

NEW DELHI: Elena Rybakina tore the form book to shreds as she came out firing against World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka to win the Australian Open title in style. Down 0–3 in the decider, Rybakina showed remarkable guts and grit to seize glory, winning the tightly contested final 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in 2 hours and 18 minutes at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne on Saturday night. It was an enchanting fortnight for Rybakina, whose form was top class and whose potent serve proved her greatest ally. Having not dropped a set in her first six matches, she knew the pressure in the final would be intense. In tennis, preparation for a big match is often decisive, and Rybakina clearly did her homework. After all, having lost to Sabalenka at the same venue three years ago, the head-to-head record was not in her favour.

Tennis battles are fought both on the court and in the mind. This was a contest in which Rybakina, once dubbed a ‘one-Slam wonder’ after her lone Wimbledon title in 2022, had much to prove. Few expected her to come out firing on all cylinders on the hard courts Down Under, with bookmakers firmly backing Sabalenka. Yet, as the contest intensified under the arc lights, Rybakina’s serve held firm. She rifled in first serves with relish, while her second serve also packed plenty of punch. In baseline rallies, Rybakina displayed the hunger and intensity needed to sustain the tempo throughout. The match statistics told a revealing story as the Russian-born Kazakh lifted the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup and the winner’s cheque of $4.1 million. Six aces and a 76 per cent success rate on first-serve points underlined her dominance. Her serve speed, too, was impressive—an area she has worked on with notable commitment. For all her variety, Sabalenka, despite striking more winners—35 to Rybakina’s 28—struggled at crucial moments. Her inability to capitalise on key points proved costly. Sabalenka earned eight break-point opportunities but converted only two, a decisive factor in the outcome. “I would like to say thank you to my team. Without you, it wouldn’t be possible. We had a lot of things going on, and I am really glad we achieved this result,” said Rybakina as she posed with the trophy. With victories over top-tier opponents, it is clear that as the 2026 season unfolds, Rybakina is snapping at the heels of established favourites such as Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, and company.