Aryna Sabalenka, who had won back-to-back matches at the Australian Open, lost to Elena Rybakina for the second time in a row in the final.
Published January 31, 2026
Following two years of success at the Australian Open, Aryna Sabalenka now faces another two years of suffering and says she is “really upset” after missing out on a series of chances in Melbourne.
A year after losing in three sets to American Madison Keys in the final, Sabalenka lost to Elena Rybakina 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 on Saturday, with the Russian-born Kazakh turning the tables against the Belarusian who beat her for the 2023 title.
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“I think I was really mad at myself because I had another chance,” Sabalenka said.
“Up until a certain point she was playing great, but I couldn’t resist her aggressiveness on the court.”
Keys’ shock left Sabalenka inconsolable and her racket in tatters, but the loss to fifth-seeded Rybakina was a unique blow.
The world number one held a 3-0 lead in the third set and gave it her all until former Wimbledon champion Rybakina broke back in the fifth game to claim her second Grand Slam trophy.
“She made some winners, I made some unforced errors,” Sabalenka continued.
“Of course I regret it. I was up 3-0 and a few seconds later it was 3-4 and I felt like I lost at the break. So it was very quick.”
“Great tennis from her. It may not be that smart for me, but as I say, today I’m a loser. Maybe tomorrow I’ll be a winner, maybe I’ll be a loser again. I hope not. We’ll see.”
It was Sabalenka’s second significant loss to Rybakina in recent months, after losing for the season-ending WTA Finals title.
What’s even more worrying is that this is her third loss in the last four Grand Slam finals, having lost to Coco Gauff at last year’s French Open.
Sabalenka did not drop a set heading into the Melbourne final, having won 46 of her previous 48 hard court Grand Slam matches.
Rybakina, currently one of the few players who can match her in power, dealt a huge blow to Sabalenka’s aura.
Sabalenka laughed ruefully and shrugged her shoulders during the post-match press conference, but honestly admitted she was depressed outside the room.
On court, she put a white towel over her head to hide her anguish, then composed herself to offer a polite congratulations to Rybakina, her most frequent opponent on tour.
Barring a few mistakes in the final set, Rybakina consoled herself that she had just snatched the trophy with the quality of her tennis.
Sabalenka said: “I think she played great in the final. She was fighting. She did her best, but she was even better today.”
“So, I don’t know. I’m going to talk to the team. Right now they’re trying to avoid me and run away because they don’t think it’s very healthy to be with me right now.”
