Aryna Sabalenka secured a spot in her fourth consecutive Australian Open final, where she will face Elena Rybakina in an all-Belarusian showdown. The world number one has been in outstanding form this tournament, not dropping a set en route to the semi-finals.
Sabalenka's path to the finals was built on her powerful baseline game and pinpoint accuracy, as seen in her 6-2 6-3 victory over Elina Svitolina. Despite being made aware of a hindrance call against her by umpire Louise Azemar Engzell at the start of the fourth set, Sabalenka responded with her trademark aggression and broke serve.
Svitolina's struggles were compounded by controversy surrounding her decision not to shake hands with Sabalenka following their match. In a statement, Sabalenka acknowledged that she respects Svitolina as an opponent but also noted that Ukrainian players have since made it clear they will not engage in the traditional gesture due to tensions between Russia and Ukraine.
Sabalenka's opponent in the finals, Elena Rybakina, had also been dealt with controversy in the past. Her coach, Stefano Vukov, was suspended for his conduct towards her, but the suspension was later lifted on appeal.
Rybakina stormed through the semi-finals, beating American Jessica Pegula 6-3 7-6 (9-7) after Pegula had squandered three match points in a tiebreaker. Rybakina's dominance was clear from the start of the match, as she blazed past her opponent with heavy hitting and pinpoint accuracy.
The two players have a history, with Sabalenka holding a 5-1 head-to-head record over Rybakina, although both have won their share of high-stakes matches between them.
The stage is now set for an all-Belarusian showdown in the Australian Open finals.
Sabalenka's path to the finals was built on her powerful baseline game and pinpoint accuracy, as seen in her 6-2 6-3 victory over Elina Svitolina. Despite being made aware of a hindrance call against her by umpire Louise Azemar Engzell at the start of the fourth set, Sabalenka responded with her trademark aggression and broke serve.
Svitolina's struggles were compounded by controversy surrounding her decision not to shake hands with Sabalenka following their match. In a statement, Sabalenka acknowledged that she respects Svitolina as an opponent but also noted that Ukrainian players have since made it clear they will not engage in the traditional gesture due to tensions between Russia and Ukraine.
Sabalenka's opponent in the finals, Elena Rybakina, had also been dealt with controversy in the past. Her coach, Stefano Vukov, was suspended for his conduct towards her, but the suspension was later lifted on appeal.
Rybakina stormed through the semi-finals, beating American Jessica Pegula 6-3 7-6 (9-7) after Pegula had squandered three match points in a tiebreaker. Rybakina's dominance was clear from the start of the match, as she blazed past her opponent with heavy hitting and pinpoint accuracy.
The two players have a history, with Sabalenka holding a 5-1 head-to-head record over Rybakina, although both have won their share of high-stakes matches between them.
The stage is now set for an all-Belarusian showdown in the Australian Open finals.
! Sabalenka has been on fire this tournament and I'm so hyped to see her take on Rybakina! Their head-to-head is intense, but I think Sabalenka's power game will give her an edge 
. Rybakina did look dominant in the semi-finals tho, especially against Pegula 
. But we all know how it can go down when those two meet... 
she's been playing like a total boss all tournament and i just know she's gonna bring home that title 
i mean, Elena Rybakina is tough too but let's be real Sabalenka has the edge 
i'm on the edge of my seat just thinking about it 
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, all that drama with not shaking hands with Sabalenka is just too much. I guess you can't always control how others react, but still 
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, I love how she took it to her opponent and didn't hold back! Can't wait to see what these two Belarussian queens bring to the table in the final 
I mean, I love Sabalenka's game, but Rybakina's been on fire too... wait no, not fire, actually. Ice is more like it - she's frozen her opponents solid! 
But at the same time, I feel for Svitolina - it's not easy being in her shoes and having to make those kinds of tough decisions.
Can't make up my mind about this one!
. I'm loving the intensity of Rybakina's game too - if she can keep that level up, she's got a real shot at taking down Sabalenka 
. Sabalenka's right to make her own call on shaking hands with Svitolina, but it's not like they don't know how it could affect others, you feel? And Rybakina's coach drama is just another reminder that even the players' teams can be super toxic 
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I'm kinda hyped for this final, but at the same time, I don't wanna get my hopes up too high 
. Both Sabalenka and Rybakina have been playing incredible tennis, but consistency is key in these big matches. Can Sabalenka's baseline game take her all the way to the title? Or will Rybakina's power and accuracy prove too much for her? 
I'm also curious about how the tension between the two players will play out on court... will it affect their mental game? 
. Can't wait to see who comes out on top! 
Can't wait to see what Sabalenka brings to the table (or in this case, the court)!
And don't even get me started on the coaching situation with Rybakina... 
but you gotta feel for Svitolina after that weird handshake drama 
yeah ukraine players are still salty about russians playing at the olympics tbh and btw stefano vukov was kinda harsh on rybakina btw i'm low-key rooting for rybakina this time but gotta say sabalenka's been on fire 
. The controversy surrounding Svitolina not shaking hands with Sabalenka is a bit awkward, but I get why they're doing it given the situation. It's not about disrespecting each other, more like being mindful of their stance on the issue 
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. It should be a great final!
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. It's a reminder that sports can have real-life implications.
I mean, can't these players come up with something a bit more interesting? "Sabalenka respects Svitolina" is about as thrilling as watching paint dry 
. And Rybakina's coach got suspended and then got unsuspended? Like that's even a thing anymore 
. Honestly, I'm just here for the baseline bashing – who doesn't love a good rally to nowhere? 
! Aryna Sabalenka's form has been