After back-to-back wins at the Australian Open, Aryna Sabalenka has now lost two finals in a row with the defeat of Elena Rybakina.
Published on January 31, 2026
After two years of Australian Open triumph, Aryna Sabalenka is now enduring another two years of “pain” – and a series of missed opportunities in Melbourne that have left her “really upset”.
A year after losing the final in three sets to the American Madison Keys, Sabalenka falls 6-4 4-6 6-4 at Elena Rybakina on Saturday, the Kazakh of Russian origin turning the tables on the Belarusian who beat her for the 2023 title.
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“I was really angry with myself, I would say, because once again I had opportunities,” Sabalenka said.
“I played really well up to a certain point, then I couldn’t resist the aggression she had on the court.”
While the Keys clash left Sabalenka inconsolable and his racket in pieces, the loss to fifth-seeded Rybakina had its own sting.
The world number one held a 3-0 lead in the third set and had all the running before former Wimbledon champion Rybakina pulled back in the fifth game and won her second Grand Slam trophy.
“She made a few winners. I made a few unforced errors,” Sabalenka continued.
“Of course I have regrets. You know, when you were leading 3-0 and then it felt like in a few seconds it was 3-4 and I was down with a break. So it was very quick.
“That’s great tennis from him. Maybe not so smart for me but, like I said, today I’m a loser, maybe tomorrow I’ll be a winner, maybe a loser again. I hope not. We’ll see.”
It was Sabalenka’s second significant loss to Rybakina in a matter of months, having been beaten to the season-ending WTA Finals crown.
Even more alarming, it was her third defeat in her last four major finals, with Coco Gauff having beaten her at Roland Garros last year.
Sabalenka did not lose a set before the Melbourne final and had won 46 of her previous 48 matches at hard-court Grand Slams.
Today, Rybakina, one of the few players capable of matching her in power, dealt a heavy blow to Sabalenka’s aura.
Sabalenka laughed ruefully and shrugged her shoulders during her post-match press conference, but was honest enough to admit she was discouraged outside the room.
On the court, she draped a white towel over her head to hide her anguish before gathering to offer gracious congratulations to Rybakina, her most frequent opponent on tour.
She consoled herself knowing that, barring a few mistakes in the final set, Rybakina had simply snatched the trophy thanks to the quality of her tennis.
“Even in that final, I feel like I played well. I was fighting. I did my best and today she was a better player,” Sabalenka said.
“So I don’t know. We’ll talk with the team. Now they’re trying to avoid me and get away from me because they see it’s not really healthy to be around me right now.”
