Elena Rybakina withstood a fierce comeback from Aryna Sabalenka to claim the 2026 Australian Open women’s singles title.
The world No. 5
showed remarkable composure to recover after dropping the second set,
eventually sealing a hard‑fought 6‑4, 4‑6,
6‑4
victory in Saturday’s final at Rod Laver Arena in
Melbourne.
Rybakina made a strong start, breaking Sabalenka in the
opening game and holding firm to take the first set 6‑4.
Sabalenka responded with renewed intensity in the second
set, levelling the contest by winning it 6‑4.
With both players trading powerful baseline exchanges in a
tense deciding set, Rybakina dug deep, breaking serve at a crucial moment
before closing out the match 6‑4 to lift the Daphne Akhurst
Memorial Cup.
The triumph marked Rybakina’s first Australian Open title
and her second Grand Slam crown, following her Wimbledon success in 2022.
HUGE. pic.twitter.com/1obKurIXUB
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 31, 2026
She also became the first woman since Naomi Osaka in 2019 to
defeat three top‑10 opponents en route to winning the Melbourne major.
The victory further narrowed her head‑to‑head
deficit against Sabalenka, with Rybakina now trailing by just one match at 8‑7.
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