World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka was forced to take in good humor a resounding defeat at the hands of World No. 4 Elena Rybakina in the Brisbane International final. Despite their dominant performances throughout the tournament, with Sabalenka losing only 15 games in four matches and Rybakina conceding just 12 games, the 24-year-old Kazakh emerged victorious in the final with a commanding 6-0, 6-3 win over the 25-year-old Belarusian.
While it doesn’t compensate for a loss in a grand slam final, the triumph serves as a form of retaliation after Sabalenka secured her first grand slam title by defeating Rybakina in last year’s Australian Open final with a scoreline of 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 at Melbourne Park.
After receiving her runner-up trophy, Sabalenka playfully dismissed the outcome through some light-hearted banter with her team.
“Well, I honestly don’t know where to start,” Sabalenka remarked.
“First of all, Elena, whoa. That was quite an interesting match. Great job. Thank you for those three games, at least. You made it seem a bit like a fight.
“Congratulations to you and your team on a fantastic week. See you in Melbourne!
“Now, a few words for my team. You didn’t do so well today. Wow, 6-0, 6-3—that’s all your fault, guys.”
It was evidently a joke, as Sabalenka continued, “It’s been an amazing week for us as well. Naturally, we wished to conclude it differently, but it is what it is, and I believe we showcased some great tennis. Hopefully, we’ll perform better at the Australian Open.”
Sabalenka also commended the crowd, stating, “I just wanted you to save your energy for the men’s final, so you’d have the energy.”
Never change, @SabalenkaA 😂🫶#BrisbaneTennis pic.twitter.com/T0sSoSXeLI
— wta (@WTA) January 7, 2024
In this particular match, Sabalenka faced a struggle as nothing seemed to go in her favor, allowing Rybakina to secure victory in just 73 minutes.
Rybakina impressively claimed the first eight consecutive games.
This victory marked the world number four’s sixth WTA title, arriving a week before the commencement of the first grand slam of the year.
“Despite the score, it’s always tough to play against Aryna,” Rybakina commented. “We always push each other, which is great, and we improve this way, so hopefully we can continue.”
The 2022 Wimbledon champion displayed irresistible form throughout the week, spending only three hours and 40 minutes on the court in her four matches. The final, anticipated to pose a different challenge, had a history of competitiveness, as the two players had previously met seven times, with all but two of those matches extending to three tough sets, including last year’s Australian Open final.
However, Rybakina swiftly dispelled those expectations with a scorching beginning, swiftly conquering the first set in just 24 minutes, surrendering only three points on her serve.
In every aspect, she outperformed the Belarusian, exhibiting exceptional serving and delivering groundstrokes with both power and depth.
While Sabalenka had an impressive journey to the final, she seemed out of rhythm and committed a flurry of unforced errors. She managed to secure a break and get on the scoreboard when she unexpectedly broke Rybakina’s serve at 0-2 in the second set. Unfortunately, she relinquished her next serve, sealing her fate with no possibility of a comeback.
[Note: The last sentence was added for clarification.]
