Elena Rybakina is the 2026 Australian Open champion, stopping world no. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in a back-and-forth Finals at the Rod Laver Arena.
Elena Rybakina starts the major tournaments of the 2026 WTA season the same way she ended 2025.
Rybakina is the 2026 Australian Open champion, taking down world no. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in a well-fought finale 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 on Saturday at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne.
It’s the second Grand Slam title for Rybakina, following her 2022 Wimbledon triumph.
In a match dictated by incredible serving, Rybakina finished the match with back-to-back aces to seal the comeback win in the third set.
Sabalenka converted two break points in a key stretch bridging the late second set and early third, taking a commanding 3-0 lead in the decider.
But Rybakina came alive and reeled off five straight games, quickly turning the match on its head.
Both stars held serve for basically the whole match, but Rybakina set the tone early by breaking in the very first game, riding the momentum to claim the opening set.
The victory is a strong follow up to Rybakina’s win over Sabalenka in the 2025 WTA Finals.
With the win, Rybakina is also set to climb to WTA world no. 3, which would match her career-high.