Sabalenka

Aryna Sabalenka was a picture of joy, and rocking some Bridgerton vibes, on Sunday morning as she posed in a punt in the Royal Botanic Gardens cradling the ...

She just wanted to focus on the win. “I’m just really disappointed sport is somehow in politics. I still feel like I’m on another planet trying to understand what just happened,” she said. “Ah you know, I like to pose,” the Belarusian star said. Did she think her win would put pressure on organisers to reconsider the ban? “Now I cannot think about that.

Aryna Sabalenka, the fifth seed from Belarus, roared back powerfully to win 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 and take her first grand slam singles title.

On Saturday, she relied heavily on her serve to hold on in the tight final games. On Monday, she will rise to No 10 in the rankings from her current position of 25th, breaking the top 10 for the first time in her career at last. On her fourth match point, Sabalenka forced a final forehand error from Rybakina, and collapsed to the ground as a grand slam champion at last. Her victory is a validation of the perseverance and toil it has taken to improve both her mentality and game. She hired a psychologist, who helped her manage her emotions, before recently deciding to hold herself accountable. With her considerably heavier ball – her ability to combine pace and spin, unlike Rybakina’s flatter ball – alongside her greater athleticism, Sabalenka knew that she had the edge over Rybakina in any neutral rally. Sabalenka remains unbeaten in 2023, winning her first 11 matches of the season with two titles to her name. She spent her time in Adelaide throwing in underarm serves because she simply could not serve. Throughout the supreme winning run she has compiled to start this season, Aryna Sabalenka continually stressed that her mentality has shifted. Neither player shied away from the pressure of such a significant moment and they produced exquisite shotmaking from the beginning. Sabalenka, who hails from Belarus, is the first neutral athlete to win a singles grand slam tournament since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. She is more composed now, willing to work for her opportunities instead of swinging thoughtlessly for the fences.

From 'alarming' sight to Aus Open champ: How star banished demons in 'comeback of century'

I realised that nobody other than me will help,” she explained to reporters this week. I’m still screaming ‘C’mon!’ and all that stuff, just less negative emotions.” Sabalenka faced break points in all of her service games against Vekic, saving a remarkable 12 of the 14 she faced, more proof of the huge difference from a year ago. The combination means she can now get herself out of a crisis, as she did when losing the first set of the final and in digging herself out of a hole in her semi-final against Magda Linette. But the shaky serve that has haunted her so badly in the past was rock-solid on her run to a maiden Grand Slam crown. She was reduced to tears on court at a tournament in the lead-up to last year’s Australian Open.

There was more than just one "tough moment" during Sabalenka's tense three-set win over Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina in the Australian Open final. The ...

Like, I started to respect myself more," Sabalenka said. Serving for the match at 5-4, Sabalenka blew three championship points. Once a player riddled with self-doubt and lacking confidence, Sabalenka learned to develop greater belief in her ability. I'm a player. "Every time I had a tough moment on court, I was just reminding myself that I'm good enough to handle everything." "I'm nobody.

Despite blowing three championship points, Aryna Sabalenka relies on her power game to defeat Elena Rybakina in three tense sets and claim her first major ...

She consolidated the break to lead 4-1, although not without some nervous moments. Rybakina held serve in a marathon sixth game, despite giving up three break points. "Thanks to my team, the craziest team on tour. With Rybakina serving in the fourth game, Sabalenka twice had a break point and converted on the second when her opponent went long with a forehand return. Sabalenka experienced the serving yips in the opening game of the second set when she faced two break points. She coughed up two break points and although she saved the first, a double fault on the second meant Rybakina was serving for the set at 5-4.

But it took several moments for the breakthrough grand slam champion to realise her name had already been engraved in the trophy. When the finely detailed ...

[clicking here](https://login.nine.com.au/edm?client_id=wwos&redirect_uri=https://wwos.nine.com.au&newsletter=true)! [Star collapses to the court crying after AO win](https://wwos.nine.com.au/tennis/australian-open-womens-singles-final-2023-elenya-rybakina-vs-aryna-sabalenka-results-highlights-video-daphne-akhurst-memorial-cup-winner/3d2cbc9f-de17-45e4-8836-4b6ca181af83) "It was a really tough, tough year, and it was really tough moments last year," Sabalenka said. [Ukraine star's fear of 'aggressive Novak fans'](https://wwos.nine.com.au/tennis/australian-open-2023-marta-kostyuk-hurt-by-novak-djokovic-father-russia-pro-putin-fans-video/304d1958-ec5e-44da-b1e8-ad5b7903d5a6) [Wild twist in battle for Mitchell Moses' signature](https://wwos.nine.com.au/nrl/canterbury-bulldogs-pull-out-of-battle-for-mitchell-moses-signature-karl-oloapu-deal-the-mole/f0c9bcbc-ee72-40ea-9f5d-6e971e6e2390?ocid=Social-NRLFS) [Australian Open](https://wwos.nine.com.au/tennis/australian-open) victory on Saturday night, the Belarusian gazed into the glimmers bouncing off the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup.