Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina was crowned Australian Open women’s singles champion after defeating Belarusian world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in a thrilling three-set final at Melbourne Park on Saturday.
Rybakina secured the title with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 victory over Sabalenka in the 2026 final, avenging her loss to the same opponent in the Australian Open final three years earlier.
The match marked the first Grand Slam final since 2008 to feature two players who had not dropped a single set en route to the title match.
Under the roof of Rod Laver Arena, it was Sabalenka who faltered first, as Rybakina came out aggressively, breaking serve in the opening game and dictating the early exchanges.
Sabalenka, who entered the final boasting 46 wins from 48 Grand Slam matches on hard courts and holding four major titles, found her rhythm in the second set.
Despite Rybakina saving three break points, a rare forehand error from the Kazakh player allowed Sabalenka to level the match at one set apiece.
The deciding set saw early momentum swing Sabalenka’s way, as she surged to a 3-0 lead, echoing her comeback win over Rybakina in the 2023 final.
However, Rybakina responded with remarkable composure, breaking serve twice to move ahead 4-3 before closing out the match.
The victory adds the Australian Open crown to Rybakina’s Grand Slam collection, alongside her Wimbledon triumph in 2022, further cementing her status among the elite of women’s tennis.
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