Aryna Sabalenka is back in the final of the Australian Open after her semifinal win over Elina Svitolina.
Sabalenka was tipped to win the Australian Open at the start of the Grand Slam, which she has won twice already.
Moreover, the WTA number one has reached the last three finals of the hard-court event in Melbourne, winning the first two.
Sabalenka defeated Elena Rybakina and Qinwen Zheng in 2023 and 2024 respectively, but lost to Madison Keys in 2025.
The Belarusian superstar has now returned to the Australian Open final once more, where she faces a rematch with Rybakina.
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Aryna Sabalenka reaches seventh successive hard-court Grand Slam final
Both Rybakina and Sabalenka have yet to drop a set at this year’s Australian Open, but the latter does have the historical advantage of having won their clash three years ago.
More recently, however, the Belarusian has demonstrated her complete dominance at hard-court Grand Slams.
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In fact, Sabalenka has now reached seven consecutive finals at such tournaments, dating back to the 2023 Australian Open.
She is only one of four women to have reached seven or more, joining legendary figures Martina Hingis and Steffi Graf.
They achieved those runs from 1997 to 2000, and 1987 to 1990 respectively, although both are behind Monica Seles.
She leads the way for players able to reach seven or more successive hard-court Grand Slam finals, enjoying a run of eight from 1991 to 1996.
Despite clinching a stunning 23 Grand Slam titles during her career, Serena Williams failed to achieve the feat.
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Aryna Sabalenka edges Elena Rybakina in thrilling WTA rivalry
Sabalenka was ruthless against Svitolina, with the top seed beating the 12th seed 6-2, 6-3 after one hour and 16 minutes.
Rybakina then required slightly longer to overcome Pegula, winning 6-3, 7-6(9-7) after one hour and 40 minutes.
The two winners are now set for a blockbuster final at Rod Laver Arena, which will represent their 15th meeting on the WTA Tour.
And it is Sabalenka who holds the slight advantage in their head-to-head battle, with eight wins and six defeats.
| Result | Year | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
| Win | 2023 | Australian Open | Hard | Elena Rybakina | 4–6, 6–3, 6–4 |
| Loss | 2023 | US Open | Hard | Coco Gauff | 6–2, 3–6, 2–6 |
| Win | 2024 | Australian Open | Hard | Zheng Qinwen | 6–3, 6–2 |
| Win | 2024 | US Open | Hard | Jessica Pegula | 7–5, 7–5 |
| Loss | 2025 | Australian Open | Hard | Madison Keys | 3–6, 6–2, 5–7 |
| Loss | 2025 | French Open | Clay | Coco Gauff | 7–6(7–5), 2–6, 4–6 |
| Win | 2025 | US Open | Hard | Amanda Anisimova | 6–3, 7–6(7–3) |
| Loss | 2026 | Australian Open | Hard | Elena Rybakina | 4–6, 6–4, 4–6 |
Rybakina did, however, win their most recent clash, emerging victorious in the final of the 2025 WTA Finals.
Their rivalry has quietly become one of the best in women’s tennis, and arguably even across the entire sport.
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