Rybakina Outlasts Sabalenka in Three-Set Classic to Lift Australian Open Trophy

Elena Rybakina delivered a composed, power-packed performance to dethrone world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and lift the Australian Open trophy after a gripping three-set final at Rod Laver Arena. The fifth seed sealed a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 victory to collect her second Grand Slam title and settle a score from their previous Melbourne title clash.

On a closed-roof evening interrupted by drizzle outside, the match turned into a high-velocity duel between two of the cleanest ball-strikers on the women’s circuit. Rybakina struck first, breaking early and controlling the baseline exchanges with her flat, deep hitting. She protected her serve under pressure at 4-3, firing an ace to escape danger, then wrapped up the opening set in 37 minutes when Sabalenka misfired off the ground, her first set dropped of the season.

Sabalenka, chasing a third Melbourne crown, responded with authority in the second set. She raised her return intensity, stepped inside the court, and forced errors to level the match, converting set point at 5-4 with a decisive strike. Momentum briefly tilted her way when she surged ahead early in the decider.

Rybakina Holds Nerve in Final Stretch

The turning point came midway through the third set when Rybakina steadied her serve and began extending rallies just enough to draw mistakes. From 0-3 down, she flipped the pattern, reeling off four straight games with controlled aggression and first-strike tennis.

Serving for the championship, she closed the door with her sixth ace of the night. Later, she admitted the calm exterior hid a storm inside: “Well, the heart definitely was beating too fast, even if maybe my face did not show it,” she said. “Inside was a lot of emotions.”

Sabalenka, visibly emotional at the finish, acknowledged the contest with grace: “She played an incredible match, and I tried my very best. I was fighting until the very last point.”

The win adds the Australian Open to Rybakina’s Wimbledon title and confirms her strong run of form against top seeds this fortnight.