Rina Sabalenka defeats Elena Rybاakina and wins the Australian Open

Rina Sabalenka defeats Elena Rybاakina and wins the Australian Open

MELBOURNE, Australia - (AP) - One point away from her first Grand Slam title, Aryna Sabalenka stumbled. And then she stumbled again. She grimaced. She screamed and turned her back to the court. She shook her shoulders and exhaled.

It was clear that winning the Australian Open on Saturday night would not be easy. Sabalenka knew in her heart that it would. She also knew that all the effort she had put into overcoming doubt and the dreaded double faults had to pay off eventually. It had to.

When she missed a second match point on a forehand error and a third on another error, Sabalenka did her best to stay calm, something she usually struggles to do. She held on until she had a fourth chance to take out Elena Rybakina - and this time, Sabalenka saw an equally strong forehand from her opponent go out of bounds. That was it. The championship went to Sabalenka with a win over Wimbledon champion Rybakina, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.

"The last match, yeah, sure, I was a little nervous," he said. "I kept telling myself, 'No one is telling you it's going to be easy. You just have to work for it, until the last point," said Sabalenka, a 24-year-old Belarusian who is now 11-0 with two titles in 2023 and will move up to No. 2 in the WTA rankings Monday.

"I'm super happy that I was able to handle all these emotions," she added, "and win this match."

The only set she has lost this season came on Saturday, in the first match against Rybakina, who eliminated world No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the fourth round.

Tellingly, Sabalenka's remarks at the post-match ceremony were directed at her coach Anton Dubrov and fitness trainer Jason Stacy - calling them "the craziest team on tour."

"We've been through a lot in the last year," said Sabalenka, who was playing in her first major final and until this week had gone 0-3 in the semifinals in slams. "We worked so hard, and you deserve this trophy." "It's more about you than me".

She had a lot to do with it, of course. The serves, which produced 17 aces, made up for the seven double faults. Her relentless groundstrokes and aggressiveness led to 51 wins, 20 more than Rybakina. And despite her aggressive hitting technique, Sabalenka was able to limit her unforced errors to 28. Another important stat: Sabalenka had 13 break points, three of which she converted, including the one at 4-3 in the final set that gave her the final advantage.

"She played really well today," said Rybakina, who has lost all four of her matches against Sabalenka, all in three sets.

She played really well today," said Rybakina, who lost all four games she played against Sabalenka, all in three sets. "She was mentally and physically strong."

The latter has long been a hallmark of her game, but even Sabalenka acknowledges that the former is a problem.

Her greatest strength was also her greatest weakness: her serve. Capable of delivering aces, she also had a well-known problem with double faults. Last year, she led the tour in this category with nearly 400 errors, including more than 20 during matches.

After much encouragement from her group, she agreed to undergo a mechanical overhaul last August. That, along with a commitment to trying to control her emotions - she used to work with a sports psychologist, but no longer does and says she now relies on herself - is really paying off.

"Last year she didn't have a good service, but now she's super strong and serves well," said Rybakina, 23, who represents Kazakhstan. "I definitely respect that. I know how much work it takes."

Under the screeching of seagulls above Rod Laver Arena, Rybakina and Sabalenka exchanged serious racquet strokes for nearly two and a half hours.

The serves were big. So big. Rybakina's fastest time was 195 mph, Sabalenka's 192 mph.

The points were over quickly. So fast: Seven of the first 13 were aces.

Sabalenka had broken only six times in 55 service games in those two weeks, but Rybakina did so twice in the first set.

And never again. Sabalenka decided to take even more initiative, and Rybakina could not resist her high-risk, high-reward attitude in the final two sets.

Sabalenka said beforehand that she expected to feel some stage fright. This makes sense to everyone: This was the most important match of her career.

In the end, when it mattered more than ever, Sabalenka managed to settle down. After the final point, she fell onto her back on the court and stayed there for a moment, covering her face as her eyes filled with tears.

It was a big difference from last year at Melbourne Park when Sabalenka walked off the court after 15 double faults in the fourth round.

"I genuinely believe that those difficult losses were exactly what I needed to better understand myself right now. In her post-match press conference, Sabalenka said, holding a glass of champagne in her hand and her new trophy close by, "It was like a preparation for me. "I genuinely feel relieved that I lost those games because now I can simply be a new player and Aryna," she said.