Aryna Sabalenka cemented her dominance at Melbourne Park with a commanding 6-2, 6-3 semifinal victory over Ukraine's Elina Svitolina on Thursday night, securing her fourth consecutive Australian Open final berth. The Belarusian world No. 1 overcame a rare hindrance penalty to maintain her quest for a third title in four years.
Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan will challenge Sabalenka in Saturday's championship match after surviving a dramatic 6-3, 7-6 (7) battle against American Jessica Pegula. The fifth seed narrowly avoided repeating her 2024 Australian Open heartbreak, where she lost a historic 22-20 tiebreaker to Anna Blinkova.
Rybakina's semifinal appeared routine until Pegula mounted a late resurgence, saving three match points and forcing a tiebreaker. The 2022 Wimbledon champion ultimately prevailed after 29 tense minutes of extra play, later telling reporters: "I stayed there fighting for each point – it's what champions do."
The final marks a rematch of the 2023 title clash, where Sabalenka claimed her first Grand Slam trophy. Both players enter the showdown in peak form, having dropped just one set combined throughout this year's tournament.
