Elena Rybakina produced a remarkable comeback to defeat world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the women’s singles final of the Australian Open 2026 at Rod Laver Arena on Saturday.
The world number five won 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 to claim her maiden Australian Open crown and the second Grand Slam title of her career.
Strong Start and Dramatic Turnaround
Rybakina began the final in confident fashion, breaking Sabalenka in the opening game and going on to take the first set 6-4.
Sabalenka responded strongly in the second set, raising her intensity and level of aggression to level the match with a 6-4 win.
In the deciding set, the Belarusian looked in complete control after racing to a 3-0 lead. However, Rybakina showed great composure and resilience, breaking serve twice in succession to turn the match in her favour and close out the set 6-4.
Second Grand Slam for Rybakina
With this victory, Rybakina added the Australian Open trophy to her Wimbledon title from 2022, confirming her status among the elite players in women’s tennis.
The 26-year-old remained calm under pressure and displayed powerful baseline play throughout the final to outlast her higher-ranked opponent.
Her triumph in Melbourne marks her biggest achievement since her breakthrough at Wimbledon and strengthens her position ahead of the upcoming season.
Another Final Heartbreak for Sabalenka
For Aryna Sabalenka, the defeat marked a second successive loss in an Australian Open final.
After winning the title in 2023 and 2024, she has now fallen short in back-to-back finals, losing to Madison Keys in 2025 and Rybakina in 2026.
Despite showing flashes of brilliance and dominating phases of the match, Sabalenka was unable to maintain her momentum in the final set.
She will now look to regroup and target future Grand Slam titles as the season progresses.
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