What will happen in women’s tennis for the first time in 26 years as Australian Open final set

Photo by Robert Prange/Getty Images
Photo by Robert Prange/Getty Images

The women’s singles final at the Australian Open is confirmed, with Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina set to face off on Saturday.

Sabalenka, in pursuit of a fifth Grand Slam title, booked her place in the championship match after beating Elina Svitolina in the semifinals convincingly, 6-2, 6-3.

Meanwhile, Rybakina advanced by knocking out American star Jessica Pegula in the final four, triumphing in straight sets 6-3, 7-6.

The upcoming matchup between the Kazakh star and the Belarusian at Melbourne Park is a rematch of the 2023 Australian Open final, in which Sabalenka came out on top.

Photo by Robert Prange/Getty Images
Photo by Robert Prange/Getty Images

Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina make history in Melbourne

Their clash will also be a rematch of the 2025 WTA Finals title bout, which Rybakina clinched to hoist the year-end trophy for the first time.

Rybakina beat Sabalenka 6-3, 7-6 in Riyadh, with the head-to-head now 8-6 in favour of the world number one.

According to Opta Ace, Rybakina and Sabalenka will become the first pair to meet in both the final of the WTA Finals and the following year’s Australian Open final in 26 years.

The last duo to manage the feat was Martina Hingis and Lindsay Davenport, who did so between 1999 and 2000.

Photo by Robert Prange/Getty Images
Photo by Robert Prange/Getty Images

Elena Rybakina says her serve will be important in the final

Recalling the 2023 final in her post-match press conference after beating Pegula, Rybakina said: “Yeah, last match we played here, it was very close.

“I think I throughout the match of course I had some little opportunities, but in the end of this third set, I think Aryna stepped in. She served much better. Yeah, she deserved that win.

“So of course many years passed, a lot of matches has been played. Hopefully with all the experience which I got from this last match, last time final I played here, I can bring it to Saturday match and do my best, focus on my serve, of course.

“Since we are both very aggressive players, serve is important. Yeah, fight till the end, and hopefully this time it’s gonna go my way.”

Rybakina is still seeking to win her second major title, almost four years after securing a maiden Grand Slam trophy at Wimbledon.



* This article was originally published here

Popular posts from this blog

Opinion: Coco Gauff doesn't dominate tennis, and that's OK. She's still rare.

It’s time for American sports fans – even American tennis fans – to stop taking Coco Gauff for granted.  On some level, that’s a crazy sentence to write. For two straight years, she has been the highest-paid women’s athlete in the world, earning $21 million in endorsements alone in 2024, according to Sportico, even though she’s never been ranked No. 1 in the world. Nor has she ever been viewed like Caitlin Clark as a singular breakthrough figure taking her sport to new heights. You could even argue Gauff has been a bit  overvalued  relative to her lone Grand Slam title at the 2023 US Open. If the theory behind Gauff’s marketability and potential to transcend her sport in American culture was that she could succeed the throne of Serena Williams, it’s a bet that has not – and may never – come close to paying off.  And yet, shouldn’t it be a bigger deal that she’s going to play in yet another Grand Slam final on Saturday, trying to win the French Open at just 21 year...
Read more

Venus Williams returns with doubles win at DC Open

Image
Venus Williams made her return to competitive tennis after a 16-month hiatus with a women's doubles victory at the WTA and ATP DC Open (Rob Carr) Seven-time Grand Slam single champion Venus Williams returned to competitive tennis after a 16-month hiatus on Monday with a doubles victory at the WTA and ATP DC Open. The 45-year-old American joined compatriot Hailey Baptiste to defeat Canada's Eugenie Bouchard and US teen Clervie Ngounoue 6-3, 6-1 in a first-round match. "After the match Hailey asked me, 'How did that feel?' It's probably even harder to play the doubles first because I'm not a doubles player," Williams said. "So it's great to have her to kind of hold the team up. She has had the experience. She served first because she has been playing all year and playing well. I think that helped me a lot. "I think also just to get the feel for the ball. Obviously singles I have a little more experience even though doubles I have had so...
Read more

Dan Evans admits rout by Novak Djokovic may be his Centre Court swansong

Image
Dan Evans walks off Centre Court following his straight-sets defeat - Reuters/Andrew Couldridge Britain’s Dan Evans conceded he may have had his Centre Court swansong after being overpowered by a flawless Novak Djokovic in the second round at Wimbledon. At 35, Evans faces a battle to stay relevant after tumbling down the rankings over the past year, but insists he still has more in the tank and indicated he will “make a plan” for the hard-court season. While he still has designs to compete at the top level – the British No 5 has signalled his intention to qualify for the US Open – during this straight-sets loss to Djokovic, he was aware that he might have graced Wimbledon’s hallowed court for the last time. Unlike his compatriot Oliver Tarvet, the 21-year-old who relished his match-up with reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz inside Wimbledon’s main arena earlier this week, Evans offered up a more measured reflection after his 6-3, 6-2, 6-0 defeat. “I appreciate the chance to play on Centr...
Read more