It was all coming together for Aryna Sabalenka. She didn't even drop a set on her route to the final. Yet, when she met Elena Rybakina for the Australian Open title, Sabalenka came up short.

On January 31, 2026, in just her second AO final, the 26-year-old defeated the WTA No. 1 for her first slam in Melbourne.

Once the final kicked off, Rybakina had an early lead, forcing Sabalenka to drop her first set in the entire tournament 6-4. The Belarusian answered back early in the second set, claiming it 6-4.

It all came down to the final set, where Sabalenka built a 3-0 lead. However, Rybakina bounced back dramatically and broke Sabalenka twice. In a brilliant moment, the Kazakhstani secured her victory with an ace on her first championship point.

After her 5-game comeback in the third set, Rybakina was elated. "It's amazing to hold this trophy. I knew that today if I get a chance to lead that I will need to try some risky shots and just go for it ... not wait for any mistakes or even get to the long rallies."

What made it even more special was that Rybakina had lost to Sabalenka in 2023 on the same stage. That game ended in a win that sparked Sabalenka's Australian Open dominance. Paris will be her next major. Can Rybakina carry over that form? We'll see in a few months.

For now, let's see what Sabalenka had to say.

Aryna Sabalenka's Misery in Australia Continues

The 27-year-old Belarusian failed to secure an AO title for two consecutive years. The last time AO went her way was in 2024, when she won the finals against Zheng Qinwen 6-3, 6-2 in just 1 hour and 16 minutes. She lost to Madison Keys in 2025 and now to Rybakina.

"I played great until [a] certain point, and then I couldn't resist that aggression that she had on court today," Sabalenka said.

"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. Today she (Rybakina) was a better player," she added.

Although the loss was heavy, Sabalenka made sure to congratulate the winner after the game. She left with a positive note and will definitely look to bounce back at the Roland Garros in May.

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Written by

Deblina Roy

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar