Elena Rybakina has won a second career Grand Slam, as the Kazakhstani tennis star took down world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 to earn her first Melbourne title at the 2026 Australian Open on Saturday.
The tight battle saw Sabalenka respond to her first-set loss by securing the second set before mounting a 3-0 third set — until Rybakina went on a five-game winning streak to regain control of the match.
"The heart rate was definitely beating too fast," the 26-year-old said following her win. "Even maybe [my] face didn't show, but inside it was a lot of emotions."
Along with her $2.79 million winner's check, Rybakina also exits the season's first Slam with a promotion in the WTA standings, with the previous No. 5 securing the world No. 3 spot on Monday.
Her latest Grand Slam trophy now joins the Wimbledon hardware Rybakina won in 2022, while Saturday's title match leaves Sabalenka with a 4-4 all-time record in major tournament finals — including back-to-back Australian Open losses.
"I played great until [a] certain point, and then I couldn't resist that aggression that she had on court today," Sabalenka said after the defeat.
"Today I'm a loser, maybe tomorrow I'm a winner," the 27-year-old continued. "Hopefully I'll be more of a winner this season than a loser."
How to watch Rybakina & Sabalenka on the next 2026 WTA Tour stop
Tennis's top stars will return to action at next week's Qatar Open, with US standout No. 4 Amanda Anisimova defending her title when the WTA 1000 tournament hits the hardcourt on Sunday.
The 2026 Qatar Open will air live on the Tennis Channel.
