Aryna Sabalenka has claimed the 2023 Australian Open title with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 win over reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina. The 24-year-old Sabalenka captured her first profession grand slam with the victory after making the US Open semifinal every of the previous two seasons and the Wimbledon semifinals in 2021.
Sabalenka has now received 11 matches in a row. She has been dominant this yr as she reached the semifinal spherical with out shedding a single set, and had received 20 consecutive units heading into her first main closing.
After taking the primary set, Rybakina could not maintain on within the back-and-forth match however was capable of save championship level thrice within the closing set a deuce earlier than a forehand sailed lengthy to clinch the championship for Sabalenka.
The two hour and 28 minute seesaw battle noticed big hitting all through from each gamers with Sabalenka outpacing Rybakina in winners (51-31) and aces (17-9). Both gamers additionally received 71 % of their first serve factors.
“I wish to [say] congrats to Elena for an unbelievable two weeks. You’re such a terrific participant and naturally we’ll have many extra finals…hopefully within the finals of a Grand Slam,” Sabalenka stated after the match of her opponent, who took dwelling her first Grand Slam singles title final yr at Wimbledon.
2023 is now the eighth consecutive season have been there was a first-time Grand Slam singles winner within the WTA, and 4 of the previous eight Slams — Barbora Krejcokova 2021 French Open, Emma Raducanu 2021 US Open, Rybaknia 2022 Wimbledon and Sabalenka 2023 Australian Open — have been captured by first-time Grand Slam champions.
Sabalenka will transfer up three spots within the WTA rankings to match her career-high rating of No. 2 — which she reached on Aug. 23, 2021.
While the Belarus-born participant competed individually and and not using a nationwide flag due to Australian Open guidelines established after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Sabalenka did grow to be the second Belarusian participant to win s singles Grand Slam championship, following two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka (2012, 2013) who misplaced to Rybakina within the semifinals on the Australian Open in 2023.
Sabalenka has now received 4 out of the 5 matches in her all-time collection towards Rybakina. Their solely different assembly at a Grand Slam had been in within the Round of 16 at Wimbledon in 2021.
The prime gamers on the WTA tour head to the Middle East subsequent for the WTA 500 Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open, WTA 500 Qatar TotalEnergies Open and WTA 1000 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. Grand Slam season resumes in
