Aryna Sabalenka is into yet another final, having started the 2026 season as she means to go on.
Her explosive run through the field in Brisbane has provided her with the perfect foundation heading into the Australian Open, where she will be desperate to wrestle her crown back from Madison Keys.
Last year, she lost in the final, in a surprising collapse that arguably set the tone for the rest of her season.
Fortunately, Aryna Sabalenka is showing no signs of such fragility at the moment, and in reaching this latest final, has arguably proven Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner wrong.
Aryna Sabalenka’s smart move ahead of the Australian Open
After all, whilst she picks up incredible momentum, carving through the draw in Brisbane, the top two-ranked men have been playing table tennis in Korea.
The two were scheduled to play each other in another exhibition match, during the week when most of the pre-Australian Open events were taking place.
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That therefore ruled them out of a proper return to competitive tennis before heading straight into the first Grand Slam of the season.
Whilst this is a method that Alcaraz and Sinner have both become accustomed to, opting to extend their break, Sabalenka has instead proven the benefits of putting one’s head down and getting back to work.
She will now face a hugely in-form Marta Kostyuk in the final, offering one final test after she has already beaten stars like Keys and Karolina Muchova.
Meanwhile, Alcaraz and Sinner will have little to no match fitness and will be hoping that the draw is kind to them in the early rounds.
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Another reason that Alcaraz and Sinner’s latest exhibition has drawn scrutiny is their respective stances on the tennis calendar.
Both have been staunch in their belief on the matter, arguing that player welfare is often discarded when putting the schedule together.
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And yet, this will mark the fourth exhibition match that the Spaniard has played since the 2025 tennis season ended, not including the Six Kings Slam in October either.
Alcaraz’s complaints about the tennis schedule have been strong in the past, and valid, but his voice is diminishing the more he features in these events.
He and Sinner have both received £1.7m for appearing in Korea, more than the runner-up will get at the Australian Open.
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