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Elena Rybakina Makes History as First Kazakh to Win Australian Open

Elena Rybakina defeated world number one Aryna Sabalenka in three sets to win the Australian Open women's singles final. This victory marks her second Grand Slam title and makes her the first player from Kazakhstan to win the Australian Open. The win avenged her loss to Sabalenka in the 2023 final at Melbourne Park. Rybakina joins an elite group of players to have won their first two majors on different surfaces.

Key Points: Elena Rybakina Wins Australian Open, Beats Sabalenka

  • Rybakina is first Kazakh AO champion
  • Wins second major in three-set thriller
  • Avenges 2023 final loss to Sabalenka
  • Beats top three ranked players en route
  • Sixth player with first two majors on grass & hard court
2 min read

Australian Open: Rybakina becomes first Kazakh to win AO women's singles title

Elena Rybakina defeats Aryna Sabalenka to become the first Kazakh player to win the Australian Open women's singles title in a thrilling three-set final.

"She has now avenged the loss back in 2023 by Sabalenka, when she was first denied the Aussie glory just months after winning the Wimbledon title."

Melbourne, January 31

Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina made history, becoming the first Kazakhstan player to capture the Australian Open women's singles title, defeating the top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka in a three-set contest on Saturday.

This is her second major title after the Wimbledon 2022 title, having become the first-ever Kazakhstan to win the Wimbledon as well. The world number five adds another first to her resume, beating Sabalenka 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 to secure the title, as per WTA's official website.

She has now avenged the loss back in 2023 by Sabalenka, when she was first denied the Aussie glory just months after winning the Wimbledon title.

At the Rod Lever Arena, the 26-year-old Kazakh star took two hours and 18 minutes to win the title, striking 28 winners to start off the year with a Grand Slam.

The trophy was presented to her by Jennifer Capriati, the Australian Open women's singles champion in 2001 and 2002, as per the tournament's official website.

They entered the Grand Slam final without dropping a set, first since Wimbledon 2008 and the first in Australia since 2004.

In their 15th head-to-head match-up, it was Rybakina's class which earned her the victory. The fifth seed broke Sabalenka in her opening serving game, and her shots were clean and powerful

This win makes Rybakina the sixth player in the Open Era to secure her first two major titles on grass and hard court after Amelie Mauresmo, Lindsay Davenport, Maria Sharapova, Maria Hingis and Venus Williams. She is also the first to secure the Australian Open singles women's crown by beating top three ranked players, since Naomi Osaka won it back in 2019.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Stunning match. Woke up early to watch it. Sabalenka was powerful but Rybakina's class in the big moments was something else. Hope Indian players can learn from this mental toughness. The third set was nail-biting!
D
David E
As a tennis fan in India, I have to say the coverage was disappointing. The match was epic, but the Indian broadcast kept cutting to ads at crucial points. Respect to Rybakina though, a truly deserving champion.
A
Ananya R
Her journey is inspiring! First Wimbledon, now Australian Open. Shows hard work pays off. Kazakhstan must be so proud. Makes me wonder when we will see an Indian singles champion at a Grand Slam again. 🤔
V
Vikram M
Brilliant performance. She avenged last year's loss perfectly. That's the mark of a great champion. The stat about beating top three players is incredible. The women's game is so competitive now.
S
Sarah B
A fantastic start to the tennis year! Both players were amazing. It's great for the sport when new countries produce champions. Congratulations to Elena and to Kazakhstan!

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