Aryna Sabalenka won her maiden Grand Slam title as she battled back to beat Elena Rybakina in a thrilling Australian Open final on Saturday.
Belarusian Sabalenka seized the initiative after dropping the opening set to win 4-6 6-3 6-4 and thus becomes the first singles player to win a major under a neutral flag.
After receiving the trophy from Billie Jean King, Sabalenka said: “Thank you for an amazing atmosphere. And of course my team, the craziest team on tour I would say. We’ve been through a lot of downs last year, we worked so hard. You guys deserve this trophy, it’s more about you than me. I love you guys.
“I hope next year I come back stronger and I’ll show you even better tennis.”
Rybakina made the better start, breaking Sabalenka from 40-0 in the third game and holding easily herself until the eighth game, when the Belarusian put together a series of good returns and got her reward.
Sabalenka, who had previously won all 20 sets she had contested this season, then played a very poor service game, double-faulting twice to leave Rybakina serving for the set, and she held to love to take it 6-4 and end Sabalenka’s streak.
The Russian-born Kazakh pushed hard for a break at the start of the second set but Sabalenka held firm, saving two break points in the opening game.
Gradually the Belarusian began to turn the match in her favour, outhitting Rybakina in terms of winners by more than two to one and breaking to lead 3-1.
The Wimbledon champion battled hard to keep it to one break, saving three break points in the sixth game and then two set points at 5-2.
But Sabalenka kept her nerve to serve it out, winning the set 6-3 with a second serve ace to send it to a decider.
The momentum now was with Sabalenka, and she elevated her level again in the early stages of the decider, pushing ever closer to the lines but rarely beyond them in what was surely the best performance of her life.
Sky Sports
