Rybakina beats Sabalenka to win her maiden Australian Open title

With the 2026 victory, Rybakina has also avenged her 2023 Australian Open final loss against Sabalenka, where she lost another three-set thriller by 6-4, 3-6, 4-6

Elena Rybakina held her nerves in the Australian Open 2026 women’s singles final against world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka on Saturday to secure her first Australian Open title. Rybakina took the early lead in the match by winning the first set 6-4, but Sabalenka then made a strong comeback and won the second set 6-4 before Rybakina once again pushed back and won the third set 6-4 to secure the match and her title. 

 

With this win, Rybakina has also avenged her 2023 Australian Open final loss against Sabalenka, where she lost another three-set thriller by 6-4, 3-6, 4-6. On the other hand, Sabalenka, after back-to-back wins in the 2023 and 2024 editions, has now lost two back-to-back finals in Australian Open women’s singles. She lost to Madison Keys in the 2025 final by 6-3, 2-6, 7-5. 

First set: Rybakina strikes early

Rybakina set the tone by breaking Sabalenka early in the opening set and maintaining her advantage with solid serving. Sabalenka tried to settle into a rhythm with a series of strong service games, but the Kazakh stayed composed under pressure. A single break proved decisive as Rybakina closed out the set 6-4, taking early control of the final.

 

Second set: Sabalenka fights back

The second set was fiercely contested, with long rallies and multiple deuces highlighting the intensity. Both players held serve for most of the set before Sabalenka finally found her opening late on. Showing patience and power from the baseline, the world No.1 secured a crucial break to claim the set 6-4 and level the match, shifting the momentum in her favour.

Third set: Rybakina holds her nerve

The decider saw early exchanges of breaks before Rybakina steadied herself. Capitalising on a slight dip from Sabalenka, she surged ahead to 4-3 and then 5-3 with confident serving. Although Sabalenka stayed in touch, Rybakina remained calm and served out the match at 5-4 to win the final set 6-4.

 

Rybakina’s composure in key moments ultimately proved the difference as she lifted her first Australian Open crown.