Elena Rybakina has been crowned the new champion of the Australian Open after her final win over Aryna Sabalenka.
Rybakina wants more Grand Slam titles after her triumph in Melbourne, which represents her second such title.
She also won Wimbledon in 2022, with Rybakina denied further success by Sabalenka in the 2023 Australian Open final.
But the WTA number five has now exacted revenge against the world number one, winning 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 at Rod Laver Arena.
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Elena Rybakina needed time to ‘realize’ Australian Open success
Despite the superb victory, Rybakina was extremely low-key with her celebrations, which she has now explained on Sony Sports Network.
When asked how she stayed so calm and if she thought of a celebration pre-match, she said: “No I didn’t think, of course, about any celebration.
“And honestly, I felt like phew, it finished, the match finished. But I needed a couple of seconds to also realize that I actually won the match, because it was such a tense match, and yeah, a bit of a roller-coaster, especially in the third set.
“And the second set was so close, and I just needed a little bit of raising my attention, raising a little bit of level but it didn’t happen.
“And then, of course, I got a bit frustrated. Took some time, came back, again was down. But I’m super happy that I managed to listen a little bit better to my box, because at some point, I was with too many emotions and yeah it turned this match around.”
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Elena Rybakina’s route to the Australian Open title
Rybakina’s understated celebrations come in stark contrast to previous champions of the Australian Open and indeed the other Grand Slams.
But they were understandable given the very tense match she had just played out with her familiar foe Sabalenka, the favorite to come out on top.
Moreover, every player deserves to celebrate in their own way, and Rybakina will undoubtedly be enjoying many celebratory moments behind the scenes.
| Opponent | Score | |
| First round | Kaja Juvan | 6-4, 6-3 |
| Second round | Varvara Gracheva | 7-5, 6-2 |
| Third round | Tereza Valentova | 6-2, 6-3 |
| Fourth round | Elise Mertens (21) | 6-1, 6-3 |
| Quarterfinal | Iga Swiatek (2) | 7-5, 6-1 |
| Semifinal | Jessica Pegula (6) | 6-3, 7-6(9-7) |
| Final | Aryna Sabalenka (1) | 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 |
It was a truly world-class tournament from the 26-year-old, who knocked out top 10 players Iga Swiatek and Jessica Pegula en route to the trophy.
The displays were reminiscent of those at the 2025 WTA Finals, where Rybakina went unbeaten to clinch the title, beating Sabalenka in the final.
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