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World No. 1 Sabalenka Powers Into Fourth Consecutive Australian Open Final
Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka has secured her place in the Australian Open final for the fourth consecutive year, overpowering Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina 6-2, 6-3 in Thursday’s semifinal match in Melbourne.
Sabalenka, who is seeking her third Australian Open title in four years, will face No. 5 seed Elena Rybakina in a rematch of their 2023 final. Rybakina advanced after defeating American Jessica Pegula 6-3, 7-6 (7) in a tense second semifinal that featured multiple match points and dramatic momentum shifts.
“It’s an incredible achievement but the job’s not done yet,” an emotional Sabalenka said in her post-match interview. “I’ve been watching her game, Svitolina was playing incredible. I felt like I had to step in and put as much pressure as I could back on her.”
Sabalenka joins elite company as only the third woman in the Open era to reach four consecutive singles finals at the Australian Open, following Australian legend Evonne Goolagong Cawley and Switzerland’s Martina Hingis.
The semifinal featured a rare moment of controversy when chair umpire Louise Azemar Engzell issued Sabalenka a hindrance call—resulting in a point penalty—for what was deemed an excessively prolonged grunt after hitting a forehand. The ball landed in bounds, giving Svitolina an opportunity to play the shot, but the umpire intervened.
“That’s actually never happened to me… especially with my grunting,” Sabalenka said of the call. “Then she called it, and I was, like, ‘What? What is wrong with you?'”
Rather than derailing her performance, the unusual penalty appeared to motivate the Belarusian star. She immediately broke Svitolina’s serve in that game and maintained her dominance throughout the match.
“It actually helped me—I was more aggressive. I was not happy with the call, and it really helped me to get that game,” Sabalenka explained with characteristic candor.
As has become customary in matches involving Ukrainian players against competitors from Russia or Belarus since the invasion of Ukraine, there was no handshake between the players after the match. The traditional pre-match group photo was also absent.
In the second semifinal, Rybakina’s path to victory proved considerably more challenging. The 2022 Wimbledon champion appeared to be cruising toward a straightforward win before experiencing a dramatic late-match wobble.
Rybakina missed three match points on Pegula’s serve and was subsequently broken twice while serving for the match. The American rallied impressively and held two set points in the tiebreaker before Rybakina finally clinched victory—29 minutes after her first match point opportunity.
“Really, really stressful,” Rybakina admitted afterward, referencing flashbacks to her 2024 Australian Open defeat to Anna Blinkova, which featured the longest women’s tiebreaker ever at a Grand Slam (22-20).
The upcoming final represents a significant opportunity for both competitors. Rybakina will compete in her first Grand Slam final since facing Sabalenka at this tournament in 2023, and she enters with confidence after defeating Sabalenka in their most recent encounter at the WTA Finals last November—a victory that earned Rybakina a record $5.2 million prize.
“I could take only positive from that week,” Rybakina said of her WTA Finals triumph. “This is what I’m trying to do… remembering some good stuff.”
For Svitolina, despite the semifinal loss, the tournament marks a successful return to elite tennis. The Ukrainian will re-enter the world’s top 10 rankings for the first time since taking maternity leave in 2022. Her strong Australian summer included winning a title in Auckland—her first tournament back after taking a mental health break that prematurely ended her 2023 season.
“Definitely very, very happy with the two weeks here and in New Zealand, as well, winning,” Svitolina reflected. “Gutted to not make it through tonight but it’s very difficult when you’re playing the world No. 1, who is really on fire.”
The women’s final, scheduled for Saturday, promises to be a compelling battle between two of the most powerful hitters in the game, with Sabalenka seeking to solidify her dominance in Melbourne and Rybakina aiming to add a second Grand Slam title to her growing resume.
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5 Comments
Sabalenka is looking to solidify her position as world #1 with a third Australian Open title. But Rybakina will be determined to avenge her loss in last year’s final and add another major trophy to her collection. This should be a tight battle between two of the WTA’s top talents.
Impressive run for Sabalenka to reach her fourth straight Australian Open final. She’s shown incredible consistency at the year’s first major. It will be an exciting rematch against Rybakina, who has also played some great tennis to get this far.
Glad to see Rybakina back in the Australian Open final after her breakthrough Wimbledon title last year. This rematch against Sabalenka should be full of high-quality tennis. Both players have the ability to produce some thrilling rallies and big-hitting winners.
This is a big opportunity for Sabalenka to cement her status as one of the top players in the women’s game. Winning a third Australian Open title would be a major career achievement. Rybakina will be a tough opponent, but Sabalenka has the game to prevail.
The women’s final at the Australian Open is always must-watch tennis. Sabalenka and Rybakina are two of the most exciting young players on the WTA Tour. Curious to see how their contrasting styles match up in what should be a tight and competitive final.