Rybakina rallies from 3-0 down to win Australian Open

Elena Rybakina Wins Australian Open Defeating World No. 1 Sabalenka

Elena Rybakina claimed her second Grand Slam title on Saturday, staging a remarkable third-set comeback to defeat world number one Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in the Australian Open final at Melbourne Park. The victory avenged her loss to Sabalenka in the 2023 Australian Open final and elevated the 26-year-old Kazakh to a career-high world ranking of third.astanatimes

The match appeared to be slipping away from Rybakina when Sabalenka seized a 3-0 lead in the deciding set after breaking serve twice. But the 2022 Wimbledon champion won five consecutive games, breaking Sabalenka when the Belarusian hit a forehand into the net, before sealing the championship with an ace on her first match point.bbc

A Third-Set Comeback for the Ages

Rybakina broke Sabalenka’s serve in the opening game and took the first set 6-4 in 37 minutes, dictating play with her powerful groundstrokes. Sabalenka responded by breaking late in the second set to force a decider, then carried that momentum into the third with two early breaks.aljazeera

At 3-0 down, Rybakina’s title hopes appeared dim. But the Kazakh steadied herself, winning five straight games as Sabalenka committed three unforced errors to surrender the momentum. “Aryna Sabalenka is accustomed to controlling every match, but she finally faced an opponent who matched her intensity,” 18-time major champion Chris Evert observed on ESPN. “She had no control over Rybakina’s game.”forbes

Mutual Respect in Rivalry

In her on-court interview, Rybakina paid tribute to her opponent. “I want to congratulate Aryna for amazing results for a couple of years. I know it’s tough. I hope we are in many more finals together,” she said, also thanking her supporters: “Thank you to the Kazakhstan fans. I felt the support!”tennistonic

Sabalenka, who had been seeking her third Melbourne Park title in four years, was gracious in defeat. “Congrats to Elena for an incredible run and incredible tennis. Let’s hope maybe next year will be a better year for me,” she said.sportbible

A Path From Moscow to Astana

Born in Moscow in 1999, Rybakina switched allegiance to Kazakhstan in 2018 after the country’s tennis federation offered her financial support that she had not received from Russia. “I changed my citizenship to Kazakhstan because they believed in me and they offered,” she said in 2020. The decision has proven fruitful for both parties—Rybakina noted this week that tennis has grown substantially in Kazakhstan since she began representing the nation, with young players now looking up to her.townandcountrymag