Elena Rybakina finally rose to the top at Melbourne Park on Saturday, winning the Australian Open title for the first time and leveling an old score against Arya Sabalenkova. Three years after suffering a painful defeat to Belarus in the final at the same venue, Rybakina returned to rewrite the ending, they sealed a hard-fought victory 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. Still, as exciting as the tennis was, it was Rybakin’s reaction — or lack thereof — that really grabbed the attention.
Australian Open 2026 women’s singles final highlights
There was no roar, no collapse to the court, no arms raised to the sky after the championship match ended with a thunderous ace. Instead, Rybakina offered a gentle jab, almost as if she had just completed a routine first-round clash rather than a Grand Slam crown. Even as her final ace whizzed past Sabalenka, her emotions remained firmly hidden.
The contrast was striking when placed next to the celebrations of Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz the day before. After overcoming Jannik Sinner in a five-set semi-final, Djokovic raised his arms in triumph, visibly exhausted after pouring every ounce of himself into the match. Alcaraz, meanwhile, collapsed on court after surviving a five-hour, 27-minute marathon against Alexander Zverev, his celebration raw and unfiltered.
Rybaka’s response could not have been more different – calm, reserved, almost reticent. Yet beneath that quiet exterior lay a historic achievement. With the title, she became the first player from Kazakhstan to win the Australian Open, proving that sometimes the loudest statements are made in silence.
HOW DID RYBAKINA MAKE SABALENKA EASY?
Rybakina’s victory over Aryna Sabalenkova was built on numbers and nerve, with each set reflecting a clear statistical shift in momentum. The opening set firmly belonged to Rybakin, who broke Sabalenko in the first game and immediately took control. She dominated from the forehand wing, stepping up behind the baseline and dictating the moves, while her depth consistently forced Sabalenko into errors. Rybakina saved both break points she faced and broke Sabalenkova on first and second serve points to close out the set in 37 minutes with calm authority.
Sabalenka responded with data-backed dominance in the second set. Her serve became untouchable, winning an extraordinary 95 percent of her first serve points and speeding up her service games. An added kick on her second serve neutralized Rybakin’s position on the return, while sustained return pressure forced longer exchanges. That pressure finally paid off in the 10th game when Sabalenkova broke Rybakin for the first time in the match to level the match.
The referee noted another dramatic statistical fluctuation. Sabalenka soon picked up the pace and pulled Rybakina into a 3-0 lead. But from there Rybakina turned the match around. After holding at 3–1, she immediately broke back and saved a decisive break point in the next game to level the score at 3–3. From that point on, Rybakina won five of the last six games, hitting freely while Sabalenka’s unforced errors crept in.
Rybakina finished the tournament with 47 aces and duly sealed the final with one, underscoring a victory achieved through power, precision and mental fortitude.
– The end
Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
January 31, 2026
