Aryna Sabalenka, the world’s second-ranked player, delivered an exceptional performance to secure her second consecutive Australian Open championship. She defeated China’s Zheng Qinwen with a score of 6-3, 6-2 in the women’s final on Saturday. Sabalenka dominated the match from the beginning, overpowering Zheng’s service games on three occasions. She sealed the victory in just 1 hour and 16 minutes, becoming the first woman since her fellow Belarusian Victoria Azarenka in 2012 and 2013 to win back-to-back titles in Melbourne. Sabalenka’s triumph in this Grand Slam tournament concludes a remarkable two weeks, during which she won all 14 sets played and only dropped 31 games.
Despite being the 12th seed, Zheng struggled under the pressure of her first Grand Slam final. Sabalenka broke her serve early on, taking a 2-0 lead. Although it seemed like Zheng might regain the break, Sabalenka fought back, saving three break points and maintaining a rapid 3-0 advantage. The second set followed a similar pattern, with Sabalenka capitalizing on Zheng’s double faults to secure an early break. This gave Sabalenka the upper hand, and she quickly extended her lead, making it difficult for Zheng to mount a comeback.
There was a brief interruption in the match due to a protest, but it did not affect the outcome. Sabalenka broke Zheng’s serve once again in the fifth game, and shortly after, she served out the match. In total, Sabalenka only conceded five games, the fewest in an Australian Open final since Azarenka in 2012.
Sabalenka expressed her delight with her performance in the final and throughout the tournament in Melbourne. She also expressed relief in proving that her previous Grand Slam victory was not a fluke.