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So here we are. It is the final Saturday of the Australian Open in Melbourne. The vibe is totally crazy right now. The Rod Laver Arena is packed. The roof is closed because of the rain but that does not stop the noise. Everyone is screaming. They are here for one thing. The women's final. And what a match we have. It is the World Number 1 Aryna Sabalenka going up against the smooth swinging Elena Rybakina. This is the match everyone wanted. It is like a heavyweight boxing fight but with tennis rackets.
You look at the court and you see two of the best hitters in the game. They do not hold back. They hit the ball so hard it sounds like a gunshot. Aryna Sabalenka is trying to get her third title here. She loves this place. But Rybakina is not scared. She has beaten Sabalenka before. The tension is so thick you could cut it with a knife.
I was reading the live updates on the BBC and checking out what ESPN had to say. They all said the same thing. This is going to be close. It is going to be loud. And it is going to be awesome. Let us dive into what is happening right now in this epic battle.
Rybakina Draws First Blood
The match started with a bang. Literally. Aryna Sabalenka won the toss and chose to serve. Usually that is a power move. She wants to show who is boss. But Elena Rybakina had other plans. She came out swinging. In the very first game Rybakina broke Sabalenka's serve. Just like that. The crowd was shook. Sabalenka tried to blast a few aces but Rybakina was reading them like a book.
Rybakina went up 1-0 and then 2-0. She looked calm. She always looks calm. She barely even smiles. She just plays. Aryna Sabalenka on the other hand was showing some emotion. She was grunting loud. She was pumping her fist when she won a point. But she was also getting frustrated.
The first set was a battle. Both players were hitting huge shots from the baseline. Boom. Bam. Sabalenka tried to claw her way back. She started serving better. She hit some aces that were unreturnable. But Rybakina kept her cool. She served for the set at 5-4. Everyone held their breath. Sabalenka had a chance to break back. She had break points. But Rybakina saved them with some clutch serving. She hit an ace when she needed it most.
Rybakina took the first set 6-4.
That is a big deal. Winning the first set takes a lot of pressure off. Now Aryna Sabalenka has to fight from behind. She has done it before though. Remember the 2023 final? She lost the first set to Rybakina back then too. And she came back to win the whole thing. So do not count her out. No way.
Fashion on the Court
We gotta talk about the outfits. Tennis is not just about the hitting. It is about the look too. Aryna Sabalenka walked out in this bright pink and peach dress. It is super colorful. One of the commentators said it looks like something from the Barbie movie. It is totally "surf inspired" they said. It fits her personality. She is loud and bright and powerful. You cannot miss her on the court. She looks like a warrior princess.
Elena Rybakina is different. She is wearing a pale yellow dress with a little bit of blue. It is much calmer. It is elegant. It matches her style perfectly. She is the Ice Queen to Sabalenka's fire. The contrast is so cool to watch. You have the bright neon pink running around against the chill yellow. It makes the match look even better on TV.
How Aryna Sabalenka Got Here
The road to the final was not easy but Aryna Sabalenka made it look easy. She has been on fire these past two weeks. She did not drop a single set on her way to the final. That is insane. She played Elina Svitolina in the semi-finals. Svitolina is a tough player. She fights for every ball. But Sabalenka just blew her off the court. She won 6-2, 6-3. It took like an hour.
Sabalenka was hitting winners from everywhere. Her forehand is scary good. When she has time to set up she just crushes it. In the semi-final she had a little drama with the umpire about her grunting. They called a "hindrance" on her. Basically they said she was screaming too long and it distracted the other player. Sabalenka was mad. She was like "What is wrong with you?" But she used that anger. She got more aggressive. She channeled it into her shots.
She is hungry for this win. She won the Australian Open in 2023 and 2024. But last year in 2025 she lost in the final to Madison Keys. She wants that trophy back. She wants to prove she is the Queen of Melbourne.
How Rybakina Got Here
Elena Rybakina had a tough path too. She is the number 5 seed. In the semi-finals she played Jessica Pegula. That match was tighter. Rybakina won 6-3, 7-6. The second set went to a tiebreak. Rybakina had to be super clutch. She saved set points. She came up with big serves when it mattered.
Rybakina has also not dropped a set this whole tournament. That is wild. Both finalists came in with a perfect record. Something has to give today. Rybakina's serve is her biggest weapon. It is fast and accurate. When her first serve goes in it is almost impossible to return. She gets a lot of free points.
She won Wimbledon back in 2022 so she knows how to win big titles. She beat Sabalenka recently too at the WTA Finals in Riyadh. So she has the confidence. She knows she can beat the World Number 1.
The Rivalry: Sabalenka vs Rybakina
These two have a history. They have played each other a lot. Before today Aryna Sabalenka led the head-to-head 8-6. But Rybakina won the last one. It is a real rivalry. They push each other to be better.
The most famous match they played was the 2023 Australian Open final. It was a classic. Rybakina won the first set. Sabalenka won the second and third. It was so intense. Aryna Sabalenka was crying tears of joy when she won. It was her first Grand Slam. Now they are back on the same court doing it all over again.
It is kind of funny how history repeats itself. Rybakina won the first set today too. Will the rest of the match go the same way? Or will Rybakina shut the door this time?
The fans are split. You hear cheers for both. "Let's go Aryna!" "Come on Elena!" The atmosphere inside Rod Laver Arena is electric. Even Novak Djokovic's wife Jelena is watching. She posted on Instagram cheering for Sabalenka. She put crown emojis. That is some serious support.
Fire vs Ice
The styles of these two players are what makes this matchup so fun.
Aryna Sabalenka is all about power and passion. She wears her heart on her sleeve. If she misses a shot you see her roll her eyes or yell at herself. She is intense. She hits the ball with so much spin and pace. She tries to push you back behind the baseline. She wants to dictate every point. She is like a storm.
Elena Rybakina is the opposite. She is the ice. She hits the ball flat and hard. She barely moves her upper body. It looks effortless. She hits winners and just walks back to the service line. No fist pumps. No yelling. Just business. It must be annoying to play against her. You never know what she is thinking. She could be winning or losing and she has the same face.
But today Sabalenka needs to find a way to crack that ice. In the second set she has started better. She held her serve to go up 1-0. She needs to keep that energy up. If she lets Rybakina get into a rhythm on serve it is game over.
What is at Stake?
There is a lot on the line today. Not just the trophy. There is a ton of money. The winner gets millions of dollars. But these girls are already rich. They care more about the history.
For Aryna Sabalenka a win means she gets her third Australian Open title. That puts her in the history books with legends like Martina Hingis. It also keeps her at World Number 1. She wants to stay on top.
For Rybakina a win means her second Grand Slam title. It proves her Wimbledon win was not a fluke. It also gets her revenge for the 2023 loss. She wants to show she is the best hard court player in the world.
The Live Drama
Right now as I write this the second set is underway. Aryna Sabalenka looks focused. She changed her outfit a bit during the break I think. Or maybe she just fixed her hair. She looks ready to fight. Rybakina is still serving bombs though.
In the second game of the second set Sabalenka had a chance. She got to deuce on Rybakina's serve. But Rybakina hit another ace. Of course she did. She is the ace queen. Sabalenka just shook her head. What can you do against that?
But Sabalenka is not giving up. She is hitting her returns deeper now. She is trying to move Rybakina around. Rybakina is tall so she moves well but she prefers to stand in the middle and hit. If Sabalenka can make her run she has a chance.
The crowd is getting louder. They want a third set. They want this match to go on forever. And honestly so do I. It is high quality tennis.
Conclusion
This match is far from over. Rybakina has the lead but Aryna Sabalenka has the heart of a champion. She is a fighter. She will not go down without a brawl.
If you are not watching this you are missing out. It is the perfect start to the tennis season. Two amazing athletes leaving it all on the court. Whether you are Team Sabalenka or Team Rybakina you have to respect the level they are playing at.
Rybakina has the edge right now with that first set in her pocket. But tennis is a funny game. Momentum can shift in one point. One big forehand from Sabalenka could change everything.
We will see who lifts the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup. Will it be the Fire or the Ice? My gut says this is going three sets. It is too good to end early. Stay tuned folks. This is a classic in the making.
FAQ
What time is the Aryna Sabalenka vs Elena Rybakina match? The match started at 7:30 PM local time in Melbourne on Saturday, January 31, 2026. If you are in the US that is usually very early in the morning.
Who won the first set of the final? Elena Rybakina won the first set 6-4. She broke Aryna Sabalenka's serve in the very first game and held on to win.
How many times has Aryna Sabalenka won the Australian Open? Aryna Sabalenka has won the Australian Open twice before this match. She won in 2023 and 2024. She was the runner-up in 2025.
What is the head-to-head record between Sabalenka and Rybakina? Going into this final Aryna Sabalenka led the head-to-head 8-6. However Rybakina won their last match at the WTA Finals in Riyadh.
Why was the roof closed for the final? The roof at Rod Laver Arena was closed because of rain in Melbourne. This changes the conditions a bit and makes the court play faster and louder.
Where can I watch the match? You can watch the match on ESPN in the United States. In other countries it is on channels like Eurosport or Sony Sports.
What is the prize money for the winner? The winner of the Australian Open women's singles gets around 3.15 million Australian dollars. That is a huge payday for two weeks of work.
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