Elena Rybakina defeated world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 6–4, 4–6, 6–4 on Jan. 31, 2026 to win the Australian Open women’s singles title at Melbourne Park, securing her second Grand Slam trophy and avenging her loss to Sabalenka in the 2023 final.
What happened
Rybakina struck first, taking the opening set 6–4 as she matched Sabalenka’s pace and kept her own service games stable under pressure.
Sabalenka responded in the second set, 6–4, raising her level in the baseline exchanges and forcing the match into a deciding set in a final that quickly became a contest of first-strike patterns and nerve on serve.
In the third, Rybakina recovered from an early deficit and finished stronger, stringing together six of the last seven games to close the match 6–4 and claim the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup.
Turning point
Down a break in the deciding set, Rybakina steadied her patterns, held firm on serve, and flipped the match with a sustained run that left Sabalenka defending more and pressing harder on key points.
Key numbers
- Final score: 6–4, 4–6, 6–4
- Rybakina won six of the last seven games in the deciding set
What it means
For Rybakina, the win delivered her first Australian Open title and a second major overall, adding Melbourne to a résumé already defined by top-end serve-and-strike tennis on big stages. For Sabalenka, it was a narrow loss in a final that doubled as a rematch of the 2023 championship match in Melbourne.
What’s next
Both players move into the next phase of the season with the hard-court calendar continuing through the Sunshine Double, with Rybakina carrying early-season momentum and Sabalenka looking to reset quickly after another deep Melbourne run.
