Elena Rybakina yearns for extra after lastly shedding her tag as a one-slam surprise with a thunderous cost to Australian Open glory.
The most well liked participant in ladies’s tennis parlayed her wealthy vein of type right into a second main triumph with a gutsy three-set comeback victory over world primary Aryna Sabalenka yesterday.
The Russian-born 26-year-old roared again from a mid-match lull wherein she misplaced 5 consecutive video games to beat Sabalenka, as soon as once more, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in a high-octane title decider on Rod Laver Area.
Extra from the Australian Open
“I am a bit of misplaced for phrases,” Rybakina stated after overturning a 3-0 third-set deficit with some ferocious and fearless hitting from the again.
After taking out world quantity two Iga Świątek and the sixth-ranked Jessica Pegula on her cost to the ultimate, Rybakina is the primary lady since Naomi Osaka in 2019 to assert the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup with three consecutive wins over top-10 rivals.
Set to rise to quantity three on the planet tomorrow, Rybakina has received extra matches than every other participant on tour since final July, together with 20 of her previous 21, to serve discover to her rivals that her finest years are nonetheless to come back.
Tellingly, the Kazakh additionally downed four-time main winner Sabalenka and Świątek en path to the season-ending championship in Saudi Arabia in November and is unbeaten in her previous 10 matches in opposition to top-10 opponents.
“I did not even know these statistics, to be sincere,” Rybakina stated.
“I at all times believed that I can come again to the extent I used to be. After all, all of us have ups and downs.
“I am glad that now I am getting again to this degree and hopefully I could be secure once more all through the entire season and carry on exhibiting nice tennis, good outcomes.”
Świątek had arrived in Melbourne hoping to finish a profession grand slam, however now Rybakina is midway there herself after including the Open title to her 2022 Wimbledon crown.
Elena Rybakina is eyeing a return to Roland Garros and an opportunity so as to add a 3rd grand slam title to her assortment. (Getty Photographs: Tim Clayton)
The massive-hitting baseliner and energy server will attempt to nab the third leg at Roland Garros in June and likewise wants a US Open trophy for a full set.
“Properly, in fact, sure,” Rybakina stated when requested if the French and US Open titles have been her subsequent priorities in 2026.
Sabalenka loses key second in Aus Open ultimate
“However I’ll focus in any respect the grand slams, all the large occasions and, yeah, it’s superb.
“After all, you need to win as a lot as doable. You are getting extra hungry and extra motivated.”
The fifth seed’s finals reversal atoned for a three-set loss to Sabalenka within the 2023 Melbourne Park decider.
After profitable solely seven factors from 4-4 within the second set to 0-3 within the third, Rybakina may have been haunted by blowing a one-set lead in opposition to her Belarusian rival three years in the past.
As a substitute, she was clutch as Sabalenka unravelled, dropping 4 video games in a row earlier than Rybakina closed out the championship with a booming ace.
“She did a greater job in dealing with that stress second, that is for certain,” a dejected Sabalenka stated after falling a set wanting becoming a member of all-time greats Martina Navratilova and Martina Hingis with a 3rd Australian Open crown.
“I do not need to take into consideration tennis, however the ambitions are nonetheless the identical.
“Maintain combating, maintain working exhausting, maintain placing myself on the market and check out my finest if I’ve one other probability within the ultimate.
“Simply go on the market and do my finest. Then simply attempt the identical, you understand? Attempt to see what number of grand slams I can get.”
AAP
