Sabalenka Storms into Fourth Consecutive Australian Open Final, Sets Up Clash with Rybakina

Melbourne: World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka continued her dominant run at the Australian Open 2026, reaching the women’s singles final for the fourth consecutive year with a commanding straight-sets victory over Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina on Thursday.

Playing at the iconic Rod Laver Arena, the Belarusian star delivered a clinical performance, defeating Svitolina 6-2, 6-3 in just over an hour. Sabalenka controlled the match from start to finish, showcasing her trademark power, aggressive baseline play, and booming serves.

With this win, Sabalenka has once again booked a place in the final, where she will face Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan—a repeat of the 2023 Australian Open final, which Sabalenka won. The two-time Australian Open champion will now be chasing her third title in Melbourne, having lifted the trophy in 2023 and 2024, before finishing runner-up in 2025.

Sabalenka’s serving proved decisive, as she won 67 percent of points on her first serve and an impressive 79 percent on her second serve. Svitolina struggled to cope with the pace and consistency of the world No. 1, managing just 56 percent success on her first serve and 50 percent on her second, while committing three double faults during the match.

Meanwhile, fifth seed Elena Rybakina secured her spot in the final by defeating American Jessica Pegula 6-3, 7-6 in the second semifinal. The Kazakhstan star, born in Russia, has been in formidable form throughout the tournament and is yet to drop a single set at the Australian Open 2026.

Rybakina, who won her maiden Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2022, will be aiming to claim her second major crown, while Sabalenka looks to further cement her dominance on hard courts.

The much-anticipated final promises a high-quality showdown between two of the most powerful players in women’s tennis.