Following back-to-back Australian Open wins, Aryna Sabalenka has now misplaced two consecutive finals with Elena Rybakina defeat.
Printed On 31 Jan 2026
Following two years of triumph on the Australian Open, Aryna Sabalenka is now processing one other two years of ache – and a collection of missed possibilities in Melbourne which have left her “actually upset”.
A yr on from shedding the ultimate in three units to American Madison Keys, Sabalenka fell 6-4 4-6 6-4 to Elena Rybakina on Saturday, the Russia-born Kazakh turning the tables on the Belarusian who beat her for the 2023 title.
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“I used to be actually upset with myself, I might say, as a result of as soon as once more I had alternatives,” Sabalenka mentioned.
“I performed nice till a sure level, after which I couldn’t resist that aggression that she had on courtroom.”
Whereas the Keys shock left Sabalenka inconsolable and her racket in items, defeat to fifth seed Rybakina had its personal distinctive sting.
The world primary held a 3-0 lead within the third set and had all of the operating earlier than former Wimbledon champion Rybakina broke again within the fifth recreation and stormed to her second Grand Slam trophy.
“She made some winners. I made a few unforced errors,” Sabalenka continued.
“In fact, I’ve regrets. , when you lead 3-0 and then it felt like in a couple of seconds it was 3-4 and I used to be down with a break. So it was very quick.
“Nice tennis from her. Possibly not so good for me however, as I say, in the present day I’m a loser, perhaps tomorrow I’m a winner, perhaps once more a loser. Hopefully not. We’ll see.”
It was Sabalenka’s second vital loss to Rybakina in a couple of months, having been overwhelmed for the season-ending WTA Finals crown.
Extra alarmingly, it was her third loss in her final 4 main finals, with Coco Gauff flooring her eventually yr’s French Open.
Sabalenka didn’t lose a set coming into the Melbourne ultimate and had received 46 of her 48 earlier matches at hardcourt Grand Slams.
Now Rybakina, one of many few gamers capable of match her for energy, has dealt Sabalenka’s aura a heavy blow.
Sabalenka laughed ruefully and shrugged by way of her post-match information convention however was sincere sufficient to confess she had been despondent exterior the room.
On courtroom, she draped a white towel over her head to hide her anguish earlier than gathering herself to ship gracious congratulations to Rybakina, her most frequent opponent on tour.
She consoled herself that, barring a couple of errors within the ultimate set, Rybakina had merely wrested the trophy from her grip with the standard of her tennis.
“Even on this ultimate, I really feel like I performed nice. I used to be preventing. I did my finest, and in the present day she was a greater participant,” mentioned Sabalenka.
“So I don’t know. We’ll converse with the crew. Now they attempt to keep away from and escape me as a result of they see that it’s probably not wholesome to be round me proper now.”
