Aryna Sabalenka has now lost three of her last four Grand Slam finals.
Looking to reclaim the Australian Open title she lost in 2025, Sabalenka took on Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina in the 2026 final.
Just as she did in their 2023 Australian Open final, Rybakina took the first set before Sabalenka fought back to take the second.
However, while three years ago Sabalenka continued to win the match, she was unable to do so this time around.
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In three sets, Rybakina defeated Sabalenka, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, to win her first Australian Open title.
After the match, the Belarusian took to social media to share her thoughts.
Aryna Sabalenka says there is ‘so much more to come’ after Australian Open heartbreak
Sabalenka shared the following message on her Instagram account.
“Thank you, Melbourne, for an amazing few weeks,” she said.
“Not the ending I wanted, but I’m proud of the fight.
“So much more to come.”
There certainly is more to come from Sabalenka as she continues to perform at the highest level on the WTA Tour.
She may not have won as many titles as she’d have hoped, but her record at the Grand Slam events over recent years is simply remarkable.
Aryna Sabalenka at Grand Slams since 2023
| Grand Slam | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
| Australian Open | W | W | F | F |
| French Open | SF | QF | F | – |
| Wimbledon | SF | – | SF | – |
| US Open | F | W | W | – |
Those performances have propelled her to the top of the WTA rankings.
Despite her defeat to Rybakina, she maintains a 3,000+ point lead over world number two, Iga Swiatek.
Live WTA Rankings
| Rank | Name | Country | Points | Gap to #1 |
| 1 | Aryna Sabalenka | Belarus | 10,990 | – |
| 2 | Iga Swiatek | Poland | 7,978 | 3,012 |
| 3 | Elena Rybakina | Kazakhstan | 7,610 | 3,380 |
| 4 | Amanda Anisimova | USA | 6,680 | 4,310 |
| 5 | Coco Gauff | USA | 6,423 | 4,567 |
| 6 | Jessica Pegula | USA | 6,103 | 4,887 |
| 7 | Mirra Andreeva | Russia | 4,731 | 6.259 |
| 8 | Jasmine Paolini | Italy | 4,267 | 6,723 |
| 9 | Belinda Bencic | Switzerland | 3,342 | 7,648 |
| 10 | Elina Svitolina | Ukraine | 3,205 | 7,785 |
Sabalenka has been ranked number one in the world for 75 weeks in total, and doesn’t seem interested in relinquishing her title anytime soon.
Who will be ranked higher by the end of 2026 – Elena Rybakina or Aryna Sabalenka?
But what’s next for the 27-year-old, as she looks to move past her latest Grand Slam final defeat?
What’s next for Aryna Sabalenka?
The Belarusian won three of her first four Grand Slam finals.
- 2023 Australian Open F [WIN] vs Elena Rybakina
- 2023 US Open F [LOSS] vs Coco Gauff
- 2024 Australian Open F [WIN] vs Qinwen Zheng
- 2024 US Open F [WIN] vs Jessica Pegula
She’s struggled since, however, and lost three of her next four.
- 2025 Australian Open F [LOSS] vs Madison Keys
- 2025 French Open F [LOSS] vs Coco Gauff
- 2025 US Open F [WIN] vs Amanda Anisimova
- 2026 Australian Open F [LOSS] vs Elena Rybakina
Sabalenka will be keen to improve upon that record should she reach the French Open, Wimbledon, or US Open final later this year, but she has plenty of tennis to play before then.
Next up is a trip to the Middle East for the two WTA 1000 events in Doha and Dubai.
The world number one struggled at those events in 2025, failing to bounce back from her last Australian Open final defeat.
- 2025 Qatar Open 2R [LOSS] vs Ekaterina Alexandrova
- 2025 Dubai Tennis Championships 2R [WIN] vs Veronika Kudermetova
- 2025 Dubai Tennis Championships 3R [LOSS] vs Clara Tauson
Entering both tournaments as the number-one seed, Sabalenka left the Middle East with a 1-2 record.
Only time will tell if she can bounce back better this time around.
The 2026 Qatar Open is scheduled to begin on Monday, February 9.
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