Aryna Sabalenka got her Australian Open title defence off to the perfect start as she eased past Sloane Stephens in round one.
Sabalenka has a tough Australian Open draw, despite the two-time defending champion being the WTA top seed.
But the Belarusian was in fine form against Stephens, with the former clinching a 6-3, 6-2 win over the American in her Australian Open opener.
Sabalenka could be challenged by Elena Rybakina in Melbourne, but the world number one is very much the favourite to lift the trophy.
She beat Rybakina to win her first Australian Open title and first Grand Slam title in 2023, with Qinwen Zheng then beaten by Sabalenka in last year’s final.
Aryna Sabalenka told she has improved her smash and first volley
Sabalenka cruised to her latest win in one hour and 11 minutes, setting up a second round meeting with Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.
The victory left Laura Robson really impressed, with the former British number one saying on Eurosport: “She has always had the drive volley but there has definitely been an improvement in her smash and her first volley.
“The fact she is now closing down the net a bit more, she has worked on her positioning when she does come in.
“But really she is coming in off the back of whatever is a great groundstroke. The drop shot wasn’t great in the first set, but better in the second.
“It was building blocks for the rest of the tournament. If she is able to add a better first volley and a bit more confidence when she is up there with what to do, it’s going to be pretty lethal.”
Mats Wilander highlights ‘perfect’ Australian Open start for Aryna Sabalenka
Sabalenka was put under pressure at times by Stephens, who won her only Grand Slam title to date at the 2017 US Open.
But the Belarusian very much set the tone in under 10 minutes with a 3-0 lead, with Sabalenka ending the match with 20 winners.
She broke Stephens five times from 13 break points and fired down two aces, with a fastest serve speed of 183km/h.
Moreover, Sabalenka won 62% of her net points, with her forehand winners including two volley shots and one drop shot.
There is, however, still room for improvement, with the world number one recording two double faults and 21 unforced errors, compared to 0 and 16 from Stephens respectively.
| Aryna Sabalenka | Sloane Stephens | |
| 38% | Break points won | 100% |
| 62% | Net points won | 60% |
| 52% | Receiving points won | 30% |
| 63 | Total points won | 46 |
Still, former world number one Mats Wilander was also impressed by her tournament opener, saying: “This match is perfect for her. She has got a great start.
“She got pushed a little bit by Sloane Stephens because Sabalenka lost her form a little bit and then she realised ‘okay, I need to focus’ and then she wins comfortably. I think it’s the perfect start for her. I don’t think she necessarily wants to play better than she played.”
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
