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Throughout the formidable winning streak she has compiled to start this season, Aryna Sabalenka continually emphasized that her mindset has changed. She is now more serene, willing to work for her success instead of mindlessly swinging for the fences. Down a set on the Wimbledon champion in her first Grand Slam singles final, those principles were put to the test.
Despite being under immense pressure until the desperate final game, Sabalenka did not blink. She focused on finding solutions and after a spectacular match filled with fearless and relentless shooting from both players, Sabalenka overcame Elena Rybakina 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 to win the Australian Open.
With her first major title, Sabalenka, the fifth seed, will move back to No. 2 in the WTA rankings, matching her career-high ranking. She remains undefeated going into 2023, winning her first 11 matches of the season with two titles to her name.
In a match between two of the best servers and shooters in the sport, the fundamental objective was clear for both: to attack. Neither player shied away from the pressure of such a huge moment, and they traded big hits early on. After Sabalenka opened the match with two aces, Rybakina responded with three.
At first, Rybakina’s experience and composure from her were immediately clear. She broke serve in the second game and then backed it up with an impenetrable serve. When Sabalenka produced a great return game to rally and level her at 4-4, Rybakina simply broke serve again and then closed the door in the first set with a love hold.
Sabalenka had reached her first Grand Slam final as the fittest player this year, winning every set she had played so far in 2023, and she did so by adopting the most collected demeanor of hers. Even after falling down on a set, she refused to reveal any significant emotion.
With her more dynamic and heavier ball stroke and her greater athleticism, Sabalenka knew that she had the advantage over Rybakina on any neutral play. As she began to read the Kazakh’s serve and punish her second serve, the Belarusian took control. Sabalenka broke serve for a 3-1 lead and then consolidated brilliantly with a tight, quality hold.
Even as Rybakina broke through back and put her serve under immense pressure late in the second set, Sabalenka steadily found her way back to the baseline where she let her groundstrokes sing. She finished the set with a ridiculous 21 winners to just 10 unforced errors.
When they converged in the final shootout of the set, the level only rose under pressure. Both players swung freely, forcing themselves inside the baseline, and desperately tried to fight for the initiative. In the end, Sabalenka’s most dynamic floor game won.
The first chance of the third set came via breakpoint on Rybakina’s serve at 2-2, which she saved on an unreturned serve before navigating brilliantly. But Sabalenka kept pushing, demolishing forehands as she pulled out three break points at 3-3. Rybakina fired two more unreturned serves, but Sabalenka ended a vicious combination of shots with a winning finisher to snatch the deciding break.
To her credit, Rybakina pressured Sabalenka to the end, making each serve game awkward and then forcing her opponent to serve out the match. Three championship points came and went, including a double fault, but the Belarusian refused to let her emotions get the better of her in a grueling final match. Sabalenka forced a final forehand error from Rybakina and collapsed to the ground like a Grand Slam champion at last.
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