World No. 5 Arina Sabalenka, who defeated Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the Australian Open final, won her first Grand Slam title. Prior to this tournament, she had lost three times in the semifinals of the Slams.
The 24-year-old Belarusian won her 12th WTA title. She started the season with a victory in Adelaide, so her winning streak is now 11 matches (she lost the only set in today’s final).
Sabalenka, who dropped three match points in the last game, became the 58th Grand Slam champion in the Open era (since 1968). On Monday, she will repeat her record by moving up to No. 2 in the WTA rankings.
Last updated on 28 Jan 2023 - 17:30
Liked this publication?
