Tennis: New Australian Open champion Sabalenka is ready to take on the world

Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka hits a return against Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina during their Australian Open final. PHOTO: AFP

MELBOURNE – Aryna Sabalenka is no longer afraid of big stages.

Overcoming a history of buckling under the pressure of late-round Grand Slam tennis, the powerful 24-year-old from Belarus came from behind to beat Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the Australian Open women’s final on Saturday.

In a match-up of two of the biggest hitters in the sport, Sabalenka was a little more fearless and clinical than Wimbledon champion Rybakina in the crucial moments to cap off a dominant summer of tennis in Australia.

It was Sabalenka’s first Grand Slam title in a rocky career that has included the kind of error-ridden, big-moment meltdowns from which some players almost never recover. Before Saturday’s win, she had been to three Slam semi-finals but never won.

The match proved a microcosm of her career – a shaky start, filled with ill-timed double faults followed by a steadying mid-match recovery before a final-set display of raw power and precision that her opponent could not answer.

On the final, anxious point, Rybakina sent a forehand long. In an instant, Sabalenka was on her back on the blue court on Rod Laver Arena, crying tears of joy – and relief.

“I fought so hard to win this one... I really enjoyed this battle,” she said.

Holding the championship trophy onstage a few minutes later, Sabalenka turned to her coaches and thanked them for sticking with her on an emotional ride to this first Grand Slam title.

“We’ve been through a lot of downs,” she said. “It’s more about you than it is about me.

“Thank you, my team, the craziest team on the tour. Thank you so much for what you are doing for me.”

Sabalenka, who received a warm hug from Rybakina when the match ended, later admitted it will take a “few more days” for her victory to sink in.

“I need a few more days to realise what just happened,” she told Australia’s Channel Nine. “Oh my god, I’m speechless, to be honest. I was super emotional at the end.”

Rybakina, a native Russian who became a citizen of Kazakhstan five years ago in exchange for financial support, was aiming to back up her championship run at Wimbledon and announce herself as the major threat in women’s tennis.

“I should have been more aggressive,” she said when it was over.

“She was stronger mentally, physically. She has a great serve and she plays really aggressive. Her ball is coming very heavy.”

“It’s also pressure in the end. Today, I had some opportunities and didn’t take.”

Instead, it was Sabalenka who showed the mettle needed to survive this kind of high-risk, high-reward battle.

The final was a match of brutal groundstrokes, precision serving and wonderful rallies from two players at the top of their game.

Rybakina cruised through the first set in 34 minutes but Sabalenka scrapped her way back in a 57-minute second set to take it to a nervy decider.

It was then a case of which of the big servers would blink first in a toe-to-toe battle.

At 3-3, Rybakina could not find enough first serves and though she saved two break points, a third was too much and Sabalenka had the finish line in sight.

Another ace took her to 5-3 but the 23-year-old Kazakh held to force Sabalenka to test her nerves and serve for the championship.

She was up to the challenge but needed four nerve-shredding championship points after a display where she hit an astonishing 51 winners and 17 aces. Rybakina had 31 and nine respectively.

Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka poses with the trophy after winning against Elena Rybakina during the women’s singles final of the Australian Open on Jan 28. PHOTO: AFP

Sabalenka’s power is different to Rybakina’s, though.

Sabalenka swings a tennis racket like a lumberjack wields an axe, screaming with exertion on every stroke, every bit of struggle and emotion visible in her eyes, while Rybakina’s long arms make her seem like a human trebuchet, slinging shots in silence and giving no hint of the turmoil stirring inside.

As the match became a test of which brand of high-octane tennis could sustain the pressure of a final set, Sabalenka prevailed, and will now rise to second in the world rankings behind Poland’s Iga Swiatek.

“I just kept telling myself that nobody said this is going to be easy. She’s going to fight, this is the final, just work for it,” Sabalenka added, describing how she got through those four match points.

“I was just super happy that I was able to handle all the emotions in the last game.”

Match over. Demons exorcised. And Sabalenka is a new member of the sport’s most revered club. NYTIMES, AFP, REUTERS

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