Aryna Sabalenka won her first Grand Slam title after a turnaround in the Australian Open final against Wimbledon 2022 winner Elena Rybakina and finally winning the match by 2-1 (4:6, 6:3, 6:4) in 2 hours and 28 minutes of play.
Aryna Sabalenka also extended her winning streak from the beginning of 2023, which already contains 11 wins from 11 matches played. Also, for the seventh time in a row in a “Grand Slam” tournament, she makes a comeback in three sets, and from Monday she will be the new world’s No 2.
Aryna Sabalenka has 11 titles so far in her career but lost the previous biggest final – at the WTA Finals to Caroline Garcia late last year. Against Elena Rybakina, she had to rely not only on serve dominance, but also on solid defense from the baseline, as well as aggressive shots from the bottom of the court.
The Kazakhstani tennis player failed to become the tenth active tennis player with more than one Grand Slam title. This has so far proved impossible for others – Jelena Ostapenko, Sofia Kenin, Barbora Krejcikova, Bianca Andreescu and Emma Raducanu. However, unlike them, Elena Rybakina at least reached one more final, and with her performance on the court, she hinted that she can attack more “major” trophies.
Almost without a game – with two aces, a forehand winner right after serve and an error from her opponent – Aryna Sabalenka took her first serve, although she started with a double fault for 0-15. Elena Rybakina responded appropriately to the challenge and with three aces at 15-15 won her service game in a hurry – 1:1.
Aryna Sabalenka again recorded two aces, plus an unreturned serve, but then her opponent hit a return winner and a passing forehand to keep the intrigue at 40-30. An overpowered backhand from the Belarusian brought the game to deuce, and another double fault secured a break point for Elena Rybakina. A forehand far out made a fact break, although in somewhat strange circumstances – 1:2. The depth in the shots of the Kazakhstani tennis player definitely made an excellent impression and helped her maintain her advantage on the court, and the serve also did not stop doing the expected job – 1:3.
Aryna Sabalenka forgot about the problems from her previous serve and she turned the result to 2:3. Elena Rybakina’s high first serve percentage (70%) allowed her to take a 2:4 lead in a negative time.
The Belarusian made a double fault at 15-15, but immediately compensated with another ace for 30-30. In an unusual role, Aryna Sabalenka came through in the next moment – she had to defend with a backhand in a long forehand and did well enough to wait for her opponent to make a mistake. A backhand-winner ensured her winning the difficult game – 3:4.
Two consecutive deep returns of Aryna Sabalenka allowed her to lead 0-30 for the first time in the set, and a third quality return led to an error from Elena Rybakina’s forehand – this is how the situation turned out to be 0-40, and with new balls. A passing shot by Sabalenka after another nice cut backhand restored the tie in the breaks – 4:4.
However, the Belarusian again had problems with her opponent’s deep shots and had to reflect two break points, with the first one she managed with an unreturned second serve, but then made a double fault – 4:5. Elena Rybakina convincingly reached three set points, even without scoring her first opening shot. She finally did it and closed the set at 4:6 in 34 minutes.
In the second set, Elena Rybakina continued to win every serve from the bottom of the court, which helped her reach two break points. They were reflected with a large amount of luck – intervention of the net and two balls in a row on the line from Aryna Sabalenka, who still got away from an early break- 1:0.
At 15-15 in the next game, the Belarusian again showed a remarkable defense and won the game in the same way that she had a glimpse in the first set, but on her serve. The world number 5 couldn’t return the next two forehands, then converted a return-winner for 40-40. Two consecutive wonderful serves by Rybakina secured her a 1:1 tie.
The Belarusian’s forehand errors were mounting and she had to deal with a 30-30 situation and subsequently a deuce, again caused by an inaccuracy with the front of the racket. However, two consecutive top kicks again saved her from further troubles – 2:1.
Elena Rybakina also had her first crisis moment in the second set when she had to fend off a break point, but she did so with her sixth ace. In the second instance, however, Aryna Sabalenka got the break she wanted and pulled 1-3, but was about to consolidate it when condition that he did not cope with this task in the previous set.
The Kazakhstani tennis player again decided to attack the net at a decisive moment and reached 15-30, but in the next moment she hesitated to step forward again. She tried a short ball from an awkward position and sent it into the net, and Aryna Sabalenka combined a serve with a forehand and reached a game point. However, a straight shot from meters out from the server brought the contest to deuce, and a double fault led to a breakaway chance. A famous drive-backhand-winner on the reverse right in a critical situation ensured equality for the Belarusian, and subsequently the two went through a third ratio 40-40. A smash behind the baseline and ace number 9 saved Sabalenka from the difficulties and led her to a comfortable lead of 4:1.
The world’s No 5 rode on the psychological momentum from the important previous two games won, executing two magnificent backhands to reach 15-40. Elena Rybakina’s back-to-back forehands saved her break points, and another long drive from the bottom of the court went to Kazakhstan’s expense. However, a missed passing backhand extended the intrigue in the game, and Aryna Sabalenka flashed a winner from the back of her racket about two meters behind the baseline and subsequently, the two went through a fourth tie. Two unreturned serves still won Rybakina’s 8-minute game – 4:2.
The Belarusian tennis player took full advantage of the new set of balls and easily took her serve for 5:2. At 15-30, a new difficult service game emerged for Elena Rybakina, whose first opening shot did not go in. Aryna Sabalenka with a return-winner already reached two set points, and the first was reflected with an ace, while the second with a winning backhand. An incredible demi-volley at the net provided dividends for the Kazakhstani player, but then the world number 5 won a “overshoot” with a forehand. Rybakina still fought for the game and made her opponent serve for the set – 5:3.
Aryna Sabalenka couldn’t hold her next serve calmly and it was 30-30 after no first serve had gone in. At that very moment, however, she made an ace and got to her third set point, and then finished what she started with another ace from the second opening shot – 4:6, 6:3 in an hour and a half of play.
In the third set, Elena Rybakina lost two points on her serve, but compared to her previous few serves, she managed to win without much nerves, including an ace from the second forehand for 0:1. Sabalenka quickly reached 40-0 with little effort, and then tied the score 1:1.
Aryna Sabalenka’s aggressive returns allowed her to “hook” at 30-30, but her opponent did not allow a new marathon game to be reached – 1:2. The Kazakhstani player started positively with a forehand-winner for 0-15 after that, but the Belarusian accounted for two unreturned forehands and two winning backhands for 2:2.
Elena Rybakina with new exquisite forehands pulled 30-0, but lost the next two points. She even had to defend a break point, which she managed, and subsequently, the two engaged in a fierce duel that went through two more deuces. The difficult service game still ended in favor of the 22nd seed, who led 2:3.
Aryna Sabalenka did not allow to relax and continued the series of unappealable games for the servers – 3:3. The Belarusian made three consecutive points from reception and reached a break point, which could prove to be a knot for the exit from the final. Elena Rybakina parried it masterfully with an unreturned serve, but then forced a backhand from the middle of the court and was again in danger of a break. Again, however, a missed forehand helped at the right time, but on the third deuce, the 22nd seed again sent the ball into the net with the back of the racket. Sabalenka pressed and made a smash for the much-desired break, which brought her to the “final straight” – 4:3.
The Belarusian looked confident of consolidating the break, but at 40-15 she committed an unforced forehand error. Another inaccuracy from a leading position put the game in a deuce, but the world number 5 quickly reached the advantage with an unreturned serve. Subsequently, the tie was restored, but Sabalenka still led 5:3 with ace number 16.
Elena Rybakina did her job and reduced to 5:4, but the initiative was completely of the Belarusian. The Kazakhstani tennis player made a big mistake from the backhand for 15-0, instead of her pulling in the result. Aryna Sabalenka, on the other hand, sent a forehand into the net, and then could not react to a deep return to fall behind 15-30. It was Elena Rybakina’s turn to make a mistake for 30-30, and the world number 5 served an ace for match point. A double fault – her first of the set – sent the dramatic game to deuce, but a forehand winner on the diagonal (down the line) earned her another championship point. However, an attempt to do the same performance went out and a second draw was reached, and then Elena Rybakina shone with a winning shot with the front side of the racket. A beautiful diagonal serve in the advantage box got Aryna Sabalenka out of trouble, and an unprovoked forehand at the 22nd set secured a third match point. And he steamed after failing to react to a very deep return, only for the fourth chance to complete the final straight away. Elena Rybakina sent a forehand out and thus the “Grand Slam” welcomed its new champion – Sabalenka – after success with 2-0 (4:6, 6:3, 6:4) in two hours and 28 minutes of play.
