Aryna Sabalenka, a Belarusian-born player, defeated Elena Rybakina in three sets to win the women’s Australian Open championship on Saturday. By doing so, she became the first person playing under a neutral flag to win a grand slam.
Tennis Australia, the organization behind the competition, mandated that Russian and Belarusian athletes compete as neutrals due to the continuing crisis in Ukraine.
After being outplayed in the first set, Sabalenka turned things around in Melbourne, defeating the defending Wimbledon champion 4-6 6-3 6-4.
The fifth seed’s decisive victory was made possible by breaking Rybakina’s service in the seventh game of a tense third set. This breakthrough was made possible by the fifth seed’s vicious serve and aggressive groundstrokes.
Rybakina won the first set in 34 minutes, although it appeared as though Sabalenka was having a stressful first set because she committed five double faults and only scored four points on her second serve.
In contrast, Sabalenka demonstrated both power and accuracy in the second and third sets, while Rybakina stumbled at critical moments. The powerful Kazakh, who is also Russian-born, survived three championship points before missing a forehand long on the following one. When Sabalenka won her first major, she collapsed to the ground in tears.
After the game, Rybakina is hugged by Sabalenka (L).
After the game, Rybakina is hugged by Sabalenka (L).
AFP/Getty Images/David Gray
She congratulated her coach, Anton Dubrov, who was spotted sobbing into a towel in the players’ box.
In her on-court speech prior to the presentation, she admitted to the audience that she was still trembling and extremely anxious.
Sabalenka congratulated Billie Jean King for her groundbreaking efforts for the women’s game as she accepted the trophy from the American great, and she also thanked her crew, whom she referred to as the “craziest on tour.”
We had a lot of difficult moments last year, she remarked. “It’s more about you than it is about me; you guys deserve this trophy because we worked so hard.” I appreciate everything you do for me, so thank you. I cherish you.
Sabalenka won in three sets to claim the victory.
Sabalenka won in three sets to claim the victory.
Minsk-born Sandra Sanders/Reuters After losing three major semifinal matches, Sabalenka was playing in her first grand slam final. She double flubbed when serving first, showing that nerves were definitely a factor in this situation. She later acknowledged that the opening set wasn’t tactically her “best game.”
She focused on the Rybakina forehand in the second set and broke early for a 3-1 advantage. Rybakina tried to break back right away, much like she had in the first set, but Sabalenka resisted and overcame a second double fault to increase her lead to 4-1 before securing the set with an ace.
Sabalenka played a strong second set, and the match moved into a dramatic third set decider. Both players had the fortitude to take risks and retain their power in the beginning, but Sabalenka eventually won the match with 17 aces and 51 winners to cap off a thrilling final.
Sabalenka told Eurosport, “I need a few more days to process what happened.
“I’m just incredibly pleased and delighted. My mind is spinning with so many ideas. Right now, I’m not even on this world. It’s kind of a relief because, despite being in the top 10, I hadn’t won a grand slam trophy yet, and getting one had been really difficult—every slam was quite emotional.
I’m happy and relieved, and I’m just proud of everyone and myself.
Sabalenka laughed when asked how she planned to celebrate, adding, “Probably eating everything that I couldn’t this week.”
When Sabalenka won, she collapsed to the ground.
When Sabalenka won, she collapsed to the ground.
Asanka Brendon Ratnayake/AP Rybakina entered this tournament rated 25th in the world, a ranking that belies her talent and success. She started the competition by competing on the outdoor courts.
Her inability to enter the top 10 was primarily caused by the removal of ranking points from Wimbledon last year due to the tournament’s decision to prohibit Russians and Belarusians from competing.
She overcame Victoria Azarenka, Jelena Ostapenko, and Iga Wiatek en route to the final in Melbourne, and this achievement will undoubtedly help her move up the rankings.
During the trophy ceremony, Rybakina said to Sabalenka, “Hopefully we will have many more battles.” “It was a good year for me, and perhaps next year will be even better,” the speaker said.
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