Australian Open: Sabalenka relishes prospect of more Rybakina battles after first major success

Belarusian
Sabalenka
was
far
from
her
best
in
the
first
set
on
Rod
Laver
Arena
but
made
amends
for
her
errant
serving
with
a
heavy-hitting
showing
to
down
Rybakina
4-6
6-3
6-4
on
Saturday.

Victory
over
the
23-year-old
marked
Sabalenka’s
11th
straight
win
to
start
the
2023
season,
dropping
to
her
knees
to
celebrate
after
falling
just
short
in
previously
reaching
three
major
semi-finals.

World
number
five
Sabalenka
heaped
praise
on
Rybakina,
who
had
looked
on
course
to
back
up
her
2022
Wimbledon
triumph,
as
she
reflected
on
a
maiden
grand
slam
success.

“First
of
all,
I
want
to
say
sorry
for
my
English
as
I
am
still
shaking
and
am
super
nervous,”
she
said
on
court
after
her
triumph.

“Secondly,
it’s
such
an
inspiration
to
receive
this
trophy
from
you
[Billie
Jean
King].
Thank
you
so
much
for
everything
you’ve
done
for
our
sport.
I
couldn’t
be
more
thankful.

“I
want
to
congratulate
Elena
for
an
incredible
two
weeks.
You
are
such
a
great
player.

“I
hope
we
have
many
more
battles
and
hopefully
[they
will
be]
in
the
finals
of
grand
slams.

“Congratulations
to
your
team.
You
guys
are
amazing
and
have
done
such
a
good
job.

“It
was
an
amazing
atmosphere.
I
hope
next
year
I
come
back
even
stronger
and
I
will
show
you
all
[the
Australian
fans]
even
better
tennis.”

Addressing
her
own
team,
Sabalenka
added:
“We’ve
been
through
a
lot
of
downs
last
year.

“We
worked
so
hard
and
you
guys
deserve
this
trophy.
This
is
more
about
you
than
about
me.
Thank
you
so
much
for
everything
you
do
for
me.
I
love
you
guys.”

Australian
Open:
Fourth
consecutive
win
for
Aryna
Sabalenka
over
Elena
Rybakina

Rybakina,
the
22nd
seed
in
Melbourne,
defeated
major
champions
Iga
Swiatek,
Jelena
Ostapenko
and
Victoria
Azarenka
en
route
to
the
final
amid
a
scintillating
run
in
Australia.

But
she
slipped
to
a
fourth
straight
defeat
in
head-to-head
clashes
with
Sabalenka.

“I
would
like
to
congratulate
Aryna
on
the
title
and
a
great
start
to
the
season.
I
know
how
hard
you
and
your
team
have
worked
for
that,”
Rybakina
said.

“Good
luck
for
the
rest
of
the
season
and
hopefully
we
are
going
to
have
many
more
battles.

“I
want
to
say
a
big
thank
you
to
my
team
for
the
great
job
we
have
done;
to
my
family,
coach
and
president
of
the
Kazakhstan
Federation,
thank
you
so
much
for
the
support.

“I
had
goosebumps
with
this
atmosphere
and
I
am
looking
forward
to
coming
back
next
year.
Next
year
I
hope
to
go
one
better.”