Former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina wins her first Australian Open title in tension-filled clash versus world No1 Aryna Sabalenka

An unforgettable women’s Australian Open tournament had an unforgettable finale as Elena Rybakina defeated world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka after struggling in the final set in a match full of power and tension.

Rybakina was on the rise, but a fifth Grand Slam title came close when Sabalenka won five consecutive games at the start of the second and third sets.

But the 26-year-old Kazakh fought back with five straight matches and won 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. This is her second major leading to the 2022 Wimbledon title.

Even though he deserves it – and he really does – it is impossible not to be uneasy that this victory is being overseen by his coach Stefano Vukov, who, as always, is barking instructions at him. In February last year, the Serbian player was banned for one year by the WTA for ‘abuse of authority and malicious conduct’ towards Rybakina.

The investigation revealed that Vukov called Rybakina “stupid” and “retarded”. She told him that he would “continue picking potatoes” in Russia without her – the irony being that Vukov would probably be going to tennis camps for children without Rybakina.

After arbitration, the ban was lifted and he returned here.

But doing so under Stefano Vukov’s watch will lead to conflicting emotions after a tumultuous year for player and coach.

Rybakina has always publicly defended Vukov and criticized the WTA for taking action against her; he even went so far as to refuse to take a photo with tour CEO Portia Archer after winning the World Tour Finals in November. But the ‘dependence relationship’ that Vukov is said to encourage certainly appears to be true on the ground; Vukov will talk to her forever, asking where she will serve, where Sabalenka will serve.

We may never know exactly what happened between these two, but what Rybakina has proven in these two weeks – if there was any doubt – is that she does not need Vukov; he doesn’t need anyone. He is a superior striker and a great athlete; His serve is the best in the world and his groundstrokes on both wings are as pure as driven snow. If he lacks anything, it might be his ability to problem-solve on his own in the field.

“Thank you to my team: it wouldn’t have been possible without you,” Rybakina said on the field after Vukov came to collect his own trophy as the winning coach. ‘There were a lot of things that went wrong and I’m really happy we got this result.’

Concentrating on tennis remains a fascinating rivalry. Fire and ice don’t go far enough in describing the contrast between these two personalities: They are molten lava and the polar ice cap.

Every drop of emotion is written in technicolor on Sabalenka’s face; Rybakina only smiled slightly after winning the title. They are a mile away from the field but very close to the field. They have met 15 times so far – neither has met anyone else that often – and Sabalenka leads eight to seven points.

Rybakina is the only player in the world who has the thrust to attack Sabalenka. And he rushed her from the very beginning. The 26-year-old Kazakh has the best server in the world and his best asset is not the first delivery but the second. Most players can hit big first serves, but Rybakina’s power, angle and control of her reserve ball sets her apart.

What could Sabalenka have done differently? Judging by Rybakina’s recent defeats against Carolina Muchova in Brisbane and Marketa Vondrousova at the US Open, they came from players who like to mix up the game with cutbacks, drop shots and volleys. These touchy-feely aspects of Sabalenka’s game have faded away over the last two years, and she could lean more into that toolbox. It was two short slices that opened the door to a break of serve to take the second set.

Sabalenka struggled against Rybakina’s flawless ball striking and hammer-like serve

This was the second Australian Open final that Sabalenka lost, following her loss to Madison Keys last year.

The ice-cold Rybakina put in an impressive physical performance against the ruthless striker

After being pushed aside by her opponent in the first set, Sabalenka came roaring back in the second set.

Rybakina is a quiet presence on the field and her celebrations are limited to hugging her team, a small smile and a wave.

Sabalenka, on the contrary, is a fiery and emotional actress, and the Belarusian star preferred to hide her tears under a towel

The win in Melbourne was Rybakina’s second Grand Slam after winning Wimbledon in 2022.

The 27-year-old holds the Grand Slam finals record of four wins and four losses, and a 50 per cent win rate does not do justice to his dominance on the court. She collapsed against Coco Gauff in the 2023 US Open final and lost all composure against the same opponent in the championship match at Roland Garros last year. And now this is a 3-0 defeat in the final set.

It wasn’t a bad performance at all, but it seems the next step for him is to play with more clarity and calmness when it matters most.

Meanwhile, in the men’s doubles final, Liverpool’s Neal Skupski and American Christian Harrison won the title together in their first Grand Slam. Skupski, 36, teamed up with Harrison after his previous partner and fellow Brit Joe Salisbury took a break from tennis due to anxiety.