Australian Open 2026 Final: Elena Rybakina Beats Aryna Sabalenka to Clinch Her Maiden AO Title

Elena Rybakina became the new champion of the Australian Open after winning the women’s singles title at Melbourne Park on Saturday night. The fifth seed defeated world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka in an exciting three-set final, winning 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 at Rod Laver Arena. The match lasted two hours and 18 minutes and was played under a closed roof.

This victory was especially meaningful for Rybakina, who had lost to Sabalenka in the Australian Open final three years ago. This time, she stayed calm and focused to finally lift the trophy. Rybakina hit 28 winners during the match and showed great control in key moments. The win gave her first Australian Open title and her second Grand Slam title overall, after her Wimbledon triumph in 2022.

The final was the 15th meeting between the two players and was another high-quality battle. Rybakina won the first set 6-4, but Sabalenka fought back strongly to take the second set. In the deciding set, Sabalenka took an early lead, but Rybakina refused to give up. She broke Sabalenka’s serve and levelled the match before moving ahead at 4-3.

With the crowd cheering loudly, Rybakina held her nerve in the final games. On championship point, she sealed the biggest win of her career with a powerful ace. Sabalenka pushed hard throughout the match but could not stop Rybakina’s strong serving and clean hitting.

The trophy was presented to Rybakina by former Australian Open champion Jennifer Capriati. With this win, Rybakina became only the sixth player in the Open Era to win her first two Grand Slam titles on different surfaces, grass and hard court. She also became the first woman since Naomi Osaka in 2019 to win the Australian Open by defeating three top-10 players in the same tournament.

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