Aryna Sabalenka has claimed Australian Open glory after a memorable final, fighting back from a set down against reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina to win a grand slam for the first time.
But she was given an almighty fight by the powerful Kazakhstani, the pair ensuring every tennis ball used in the match will need intensive therapy following what commentator Sam Smith dubbed ‘the hardest-hitting women’s major final ever’.
Sabalenka clubbed a remarkable 51 winners, to go with 17 aces; only a spate of double-faults in the first set stood between her and finishing the tournament without dropping a set.
Rybakina, too, was tremendous in defeat, and will deservedly move into the top ten of WTA rankings for the first time later in the week, despite having earned no points from her Wimbledon triumph due to the tournament’s controversial ban on Russian and Belarusian players – including Sabalenka herself.
With a host of tennis royalty in the stands including Evonne Goolagong Cawley and Billie Jean King, two of the hardest hitters on the court lived up to their reputation in the early salvoes.
Sabalenka in particular mixed the sublime with the shocking, beginning the match with a shaky double-fault but following up with a powerful ace. The Belarusian has worked extensively on her serving game in the last 12 months, with the results plain to see throughout this tournament.
All up, there were five aces across the first two games as Rybakina and Sabalenka started strong; but the service dominance wasn’t to last long.
Some nervy hitting from the fifth seed saw Sabalenka broken for a 2-1 Rybakina lead; though a pair of tremendous strikes in the eighth game of the set saw her break back for 4-4, the Belarusian’s serve would soon let her down again.
A double-fault to start the game gave Rybakina a foothold, then another at 30-40 gifted the immediate break-back, the Kazakhstani coolly serving out the set to move a step closer to a second grand slam title to go with her Wimbledon championship from last year.
For Sabalenka, it was a tale of overexuberance at times, trying too much with her powerful forehand and spraying nine unforced errors.
“I’m afraid Sabalenka… rather still running too hot, and the icy Ryabkina taking full advantage,” noted Sam Smith on Nine.
Needing to become just the 11th Australian Open champion since the dawn of the Open Era in 1968 to win the final from a set down, Sabalenka finally found her radar just when she needed it most.
After five double-faults in the first set, only one more would follow in the second; even more impressively, five aces among 21 winners saw her power simply overwhelm Rybakina throughout.
“The tiger is out of the cage,” Smith said after a crunching forehand to earn an early break and 3-1 lead was met with a roar from the Belarusian.
Showing just why she has won her last six grand slam matches in which she has lost the first set, not even a gritty hold from Rybakina, saving two set points at 5-2 down, could save the set from Sabalenka’s scintillating shot-making.
Where Sabalenka drew ire early for her overly emotional play, it was Rybakina’s turn to be urged to lift by the Nine commentary team.
“She… needs to find a little bit of intensity because Sabalenka is bringing it,” Jelena Dokic said.
“Yes, she doesn’t give much away emotionally. But at the same time, Sabalenka is really in your face type of thing out there.
“That’s got to get to you no matter who you are.”
With former great Pam Shriver again critical of Rybakina’s coach Stefano Vukov’s polarisingly aggressive treatment of his star player, the Kazakhstani finally gave up the advantage she’d held since early in the first set, Sabalenka breaking early for a 4-3 lead.
The mesmerising hitting, though, was stealing the show, neither player backing down from their power games.
It would be Sabalenka, though, who drew first blood in the decider; despite the desperation of Rybakina to save three set points in the seventh game, the Belarusian finally broke the Kazakhstani’s defences with a brutal smash to go 4-3 ahead.
Serving out the match was never going to be a simple task for a player with such inconsistent serving as Sabalenka; and so it would prove.
Setting up match point with a 188kph ace down the tee, she followed with a double-fault, perfectly summing up the jumble of inconsistencies that is the world number five.
A brilliant one-two punch of a strong serve and forehand putaway brought her a second chance, only to once again blow the chance; tensions rising to nearly unbearable levels at Rod Laver Arena.
“Drama, emotion – it has everything!” Smith cried as a Rybakina forehand found the line to earn her, against all odds, a break point; but this time Sabalenka would stave off the challenge, a 192kph serve going unreturned.
“They are bringing the best out of each other,” Dokic remarked.
A third chance came and went too for Sabalenka, sending a backhand long; once again, though, she missed her first serve at the crucial stage.
“She may have a tiger tattoo, but she has the heart of a lioness!” Smith said as Sabalenka set up a fourth match point; this time, she landed her first serve, and when Rybakina sent a forehand long, a maiden grand slam title was hers.
“Congratulations to Aryna for the title and great start to the season,” a gracious Rybakina said of Sabalenka in the post-match presentation of the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Trophy.
“I know how hard you’ve worked for it – hopefully we’re going to have many more battles.”
Sabalenka, who wept tears of joy after claiming the title, paid tribute to Rybakina for a titanic battle, while also praising her team.
“Elena, you’re such a great player. I know we’re going to have many more battles, hopefully in the finals of grand slams,” Sabalenka said.
“Thanks to my team, the craziest team on tour. We went through a lot of lows last year but we worked so hard.
“You deserve this trophy more than me.”
Sabalenka’s win sees her rise to No.2 in the WTA rankings, behind only Iga Swiatek, while Rybakina has climbed 12 places to No.10 in the world.
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