Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina will contest the 2026 Australian Open women’s singles final.
Both players won their semifinal matches in straight sets, as Sabalenka defeated Elina Svitolina 6-2, 6-3, and Rybakina defeated Jessica Pegula 6-3, 7-6.
They’ve met once before in an Australian Open final, three years ago, a match Sabalenka won, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.
But who will lift the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup this time around?
Who is going to win the women’s Australian Open title?
We asked our fans on TalkingPoints to pick their Australian Open women’s singles champion earlier this week.
Tennis fans back Aryna Sabalenka to win the Australian Open
Sabalenka received the largest share of the vote (46%) ahead of Rybakina (35%).
It wasn’t a landslide by any means, but Sabalenka clearly looks like the favorite heading into Saturday’s final.
And, it’s not hard to understand why.
The Belarusian has an excellent record at the event and is a two-time Australian Open champion.
Aryna Sabalenka at the Australian Open
| Year | Result | Record |
| 2026 | TBD – F vs Elena Rybakina | 6-0* |
| 2025 | Lost in F to Madison Keys | 6-1 |
| 2024 | Champion | 7-0 |
| 2023 | Champion | 7-0 |
| 2022 | Lost in 4R to Kaia Kanepi | 3-1 |
| 2021 | Lost in 4R to Serena Williams | 3-1 |
| 2020 | Lost in 1R to Carla Suarez Navarro | 0-1 |
| 2019 | Lost in 3R to Amanda Anisimova | 2-1 |
| 2018 | Lost in 1R to Ash Barty | 0-1 |
| Career | 2 X Champion | 34-7 |
Sabalenka has won 26 of her last 27 matches in Melbourne, establishing herself as a dominant force down under.
Rybakina hasn’t enjoyed quite as much success as Sabalenka, but has still picked up some big wins at the Australian Open.
Elena Rybakina at the Australian Open
| Year | Result | Record |
| 2026 | TBD – F vs Aryna Sabalenka | 6-0 |
| 2025 | Lost in 4R to Madison Keys | 3-1 |
| 2024 | Lost in 2R to Anna Blinkova | 1-1 |
| 2023 | Lost in F to Aryna Sabalenka | 6-1 |
| 2022 | Lost in 2R to Shuai Zhang | 1-1 |
| 2021 | Lost in 2R to Fiona Ferro | 1-1 |
| 2020 | Lost in 3R to Ash Barty | 2-1 |
| Career | 2 X Finalist | 20-6 |
She just hasn’t maintained the same consistency as Sabalenka, suffering several shock defeats over the years.
Whether that consistency will guide Sabalenka to another Australian Open title remains to be seen.
Aryna Sabalenka vs Elena Rybakina – The story so far
Sabalenka and Rybakina’s rivalry is one of the best in tennis today.
After 14 matches, Sabalenka leads Rybakina 8-6 in the head-to-head.
Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina’s head-to-head record
| Match | Winner | Loser | Score |
| 2025 WTA Finals – F | Elena Rybakina | Aryna Sabalenka | 7-6, 6-3 |
| 2025 Wuhan Open – QF | Aryna Sabalenka | Elena Rybakina | 6-3, 6-3 |
| 2025 Cincinnati Open – QF | Elena Rybakina | Aryna Sabalenka | 6-1, 6-4 |
| 2025 Berlin Open – QF | Aryna Sabalenka | Elena Rybakina | 7-6, 3-6, 7-6 |
| 2024 WTA Finals – RR | Elena Rybakina | Aryna Sabalenka | 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 |
| 2024 Madrid Open – SF | Aryna Sabalenka | Elena Rybakina | 1-6, 7-5, 7-6 |
| 2024 Brisbane International – F | Elena Rybakina | Aryna Sabalenka | 6-0, 6-3 |
| 2023 WTA Finals – RR | Aryna Sabalenka | Elena Rybakina | 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 |
| 2023 China Open – QF | Elena Rybakina | Aryna Sabalenka | 7-5, 6-2 |
| 2023 Indian Wells – F | Elena Rybakina | Aryna Sabalenka | 7-6, 6-4 |
| 2023 Australian Open – F | Aryna Sabalenka | Elena Rybakina | 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 |
| 2021 Wimbledon – 4R | Aryna Sabalenka | Elena Rybakina | 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 |
| 2021 Abu Dhabi Open – QF | Aryna Sabalenka | Elena Rybakina | 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 |
| 2019 Wuhan Open – QF | Aryna Sabalenka | Elena Rybakina | 6-3, 1-6, 6-1 |
But it was Rybakina who won their last meeting, at the WTA Finals, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Playing one of the biggest matches of her career, Rybakina cut a composed figure in the Middle East, defeating her rival in straight sets, 7-6, 6-3.
The Kazakh will hope to carry that momentum forward and narrow her head-to-head deficit to 7-8, and double her Grand Slam tally in the process.
What’s on the line for Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina?
The simple answer is the trophy, of course, but what will a win do for either player’s legacy?
For Rybakina, a title will see her jump ahead of the seven other active one-time women’s Grand Slam champions.
‘Active’ one-time women’s Grand Slam champions
- Madison Keys (2025 Australian Open)
- Marketa Vondrousova (2024 Wimbledon)
- Elena Rybakina (2023 Wimbledon)
- Emma Raducanu (2021 US Open)
- Sofia Kenin (2020 Australian Open)
- Bianca Andreescu (2019 US Open)
- Sloane Stephens (2017 US Open)
- Jelena Ostapenko (2017 French Open)
It would also see Rybakina establish her position as the world number three, sending a message to the rest of the top 10.
But for Sabalenka, a third Australian Open title in four years may mean even more.
Aryna Sabalenka is now the — best women’s player of all time
Where are you ranking her?
She would move ahead of Japan’s Naomi Osaka in the list of active women’s Grand Slam champions, closing to within one of Poland’s Iga Swiatek.
‘Active’ multiple women’s Grand Slam champions
| Rank | Name | Country | Grand Slams |
| 1 | Venus Williams | USA | 7 |
| 2 | Iga Swiatek | Poland | 6 |
| T-3 | Aryna Sabalenka | Belarus | 4 |
| T-3 | Naomi Osaka | Japan | 4 |
| T-5 | Coco Gauff | USA | 2 |
| T-5 | Barbora Krejcikova | Czechia | 2 |
| T-5 | Victoria Azarenka | Belarus | 2 |
And, having been the dominant force in women’s tennis for well over a year now, you could even start to argue that her career achievements outweigh Swiatek’s.
There will surely be plenty to talk about in the aftermath of the women’s final, but one thing is for certain: you won’t want to miss it!
Sabalenka will play Rybakina in the 2026 Australian Open final on Saturday, January 31.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
