Australian Open 2026: Elena Rybakina returns to the top after four-year wait for second major title

It’s been almost four years since Elena Rybakina celebrated her Wimbledon victory by humbly raising her right arm in the air.

“Maybe one day you’ll see a big reaction from me,” he told the crowd that day.

But that’s not the understated 26-year-old’s style.

The Kazakh, who ended his wait for a new Grand Slam trophy with victory at the Australian Open, clenched his fist and shook his head briefly in a mixture of relief and disbelief.

But his return to the level that led him to breakthrough success has signaled that he may now be ready to consistently create moments worthy of major celebrations.

World number one Aryna Sabalenka and second-ranked Iga Swiatek have established themselves as dominant players on the women’s tour in recent years, winning eight of the 13 slams since Rybakina’s Wimbledon triumph.

But Rybakina showed her potential to close the gap by beating Sabalenka 6-4 4-6 6-4 in Saturday’s showpiece in Melbourne, and also edged out Swiatek and sixth seed Jessica Pegula en route to the title.

“I always believed I could get back to my old level [but] we all have our ups and downs,” Rybakina said.

“I thought maybe I would never make it to the final again, or even win a trophy.

“But we work so hard as a team and I’m not sure they’ll be able to help in those moments when I’m not so sure.”

“When you get big wins against the best players, you start to believe more and you become more confident.”