TENNIS: Sabalenka primed for Rybakina rematch with eyes on third Australian Open crown

MELBOURNE – Aryna Sabalenka will aim for a third Australian Open title in four years on Saturday when the Belarusian faces fellow power-hitter Elena Rybakina in a heavyweight rematch of their 2023 final.

Since Sabalenka’s breakthrough win in 2023, the dynamics have shifted. The 27-year-old Belarusian is now the clear favorite with three additional Grand Slam victories, while Rybakina has yet to claim another major since her 2022 Wimbledon triumph.

The two players are no strangers, having met 14 times on the WTA Tour. Sabalenka holds a slight edge in a rivalry known for bruising baseline rallies and shifting momentum, but the top seed insists past results will count for little at Rod Laver Arena.

"We both are different players," Sabalenka said.

"We went through different things and we're much stronger mentally and physically. We're playing better tennis now. So I'll approach this as a completely different match. We have a long history after that final. I'll approach this match as the very first one and I will do my very best."

A victory would give Sabalenka her fifth Grand Slam title, tying her with Martina Hingis and Maria Sharapova and cementing her status among the most successful players of the modern era.

Bragging Rights

Rybakina, the Russian-born Kazakh, holds the recent bragging rights after defeating Sabalenka in the 2025 WTA Finals title match. The fifth seed is hoping that experience will help her in Saturday’s showdown.

"Of course, many years have passed and a lot of matches have been played," Rybakina said.

"Hopefully all the experience I got from the last match and the last final that I played here, I can bring it to Saturday's match and do my best. Since we're both very aggressive players, the serve will be important. I'll fight till the end, and hopefully this time it's going to go my way."

The final carries subtle political undertones as well, given Sabalenka’s Belarusian background and Rybakina’s early ties to Moscow, in the context of Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Melbourne has been particularly kind to Sabalenka. She has won 26 of her last 27 matches at the Australian Open, with her only defeat coming against Madison Keys in the 2025 final, denying her a “three-peat” at Melbourne Park.

Sabalenka’s heavy first serve and flat groundstrokes are well-suited to the fast, blue hardcourts, and she has not dropped a set on her way to this year’s final. Rybakina has been equally efficient, marking the first time since 2004 that both Australian Open women’s finalists have reached the decider without losing a set.

While Sabalenka cruised past Elina Svitolina 6-2, 6-3 in the semifinals, Rybakina had to fight for a 6-3, 7-6(7) win over Jessica Pegula to maintain her record. The 2022 Wimbledon champion has won 13 of her last 14 matches, showing the consistency that makes her a formidable opponent.

Australian Open Order of Play – Saturday

Rod Laver Arena

Day Session (1200 AEDT / 0100 GMT)

Women’s doubles final: 7-Anna Danilina (Kazakhstan)/Aleksandra Krunic (Serbia) vs 4-Zhang Shuai (China)/Elise Mertens (Belgium)

Men’s doubles final: Jason Kubler (Australia)/Marc Polmans (Australia) vs 6-Christian Harrison (USA)/Neal Skupski (Britain)

Night Session (1930 AEDT / 0830 GMT)

Women’s singles final: 1-Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus) vs 5-Elena Rybakina (Kazakhstan)

-Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Melbourne; Editing by Peter Rutherford/Reuters