Elena Rybakina Captures Her First Australian Open Title
Australian Open
January 31, 2026
Elena Rybakina greeted the moment of victory with an understated smile. But her eyes burned bright with the excitement of it all.
She reacted the same way back in 2022 when she won Wimbledon so surprisingly. Perhaps we should expect her brilliance now.
Elena Rybakina will embrace the challenge of Wimbledon 2026 soon enough. We can’t wait.
Revenge was hers for the 2023 final defeat Down Under to the same player, Aryna Sabalenka. But most of all this was a triumph for quiet composure under fire.
What a final! What a comeback in the deciding set! The Australian Open has delivered astonishingly, with almost impossible dramatic tension in the last thirty-six hours.
Sabalenka and her incredible will to win couldn’t overpower the still mind, steely determination and striking elegance of former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina.
Aryna didn’t cry in defeat this time. She said bravely: ‘Congratulations Elena. Let’s hope next year is going to be a better year for me.’
A third Australian Open title for the world number one was not to be. She grew tense and overbalanced into shots clumsily at the death.
Now she will have to focus on the majors that have so far eluded her – starting with the French Open.
Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka will be desperate to fight it out for the Wimbledon 2026 title too.
The winner said: ‘I just hope we’re going to play more finals together. It was a battle.’
Surprisingly, Sabalenka hasn’t made it past the semi-finals so far at the All England Club. You can bet she’ll want to put that right at Wimbledon 2026.
On Saturday she failed to lay to rest the ghost of defeat in Melbourne last year to Madison Keys.
A finalist on four successive occasions, she has won twice and also twice felt that sickening feeling of coming so near yet so far.
Rybakina opened up with stunning aggression to go with her beautiful flowing swing. She defended an early break with solid confidence and closed out the first set in style.
But then Elena’s serve began to misfire, as the pressure of Sabalenka’s willpower went to work.
Sabalenka roared back with seemingly unstoppable momentum to take the second and then steam ahead 3-0 in the decider.
At that point, Aryna seemed to see the finishing line in sight – and it cost her. Rybakina finally loosened up once more, as though she had nothing to lose.
What folllowed brought the huge crowd on Rod Laver to their feet. They cheered loudly, half in admiration and half in disbelief as Elena stormed back with five games in a row.
Two mighty serves sealed it 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. And the tennis world was overwhelmingly happy with what it had witnessed.
Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka will surely star at Wimbledon 2026. But will you be there too?
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