Sabalenka Dominates to Defend Australian Open Title Against Zheng Qinwen

Belarusian tennis star Aryna Sabalenka has retained her Australian Open women’s singles title with a commanding victory over China’s Zheng Qinwen on Saturday, January 27. In the final at Rod Laver Arena, Sabalenka, who had previously triumphed over Elena Rybakina in the 2023 final, delivered an outstanding performance, defeating Qinwen 6-3, 6-2. This victory marks her second Grand Slam title and positions her as the first woman to defend the Australian Open title since Victoria Azarenka, also from Belarus, in 2011 and 2012. Additionally, this win catapults Sabalenka back to the World No. 1 spot in the WTA rankings.

In a match where she entered as the favorite, Sabalenka demonstrated her superiority, particularly in the first set, where she broke Qinwen’s serve to establish control. Throughout the match, Sabalenka maintained her serve without faltering and even saved a match point.

The second set saw Sabalenka break her opponent’s serve twice, effectively securing the championship. Despite showing some nervousness while serving for the match at 5-2, Sabalenka managed to save a break point and finally clinched the title after four championship points. The final, which lasted just 76 minutes, showcased Sabalenka’s dominant form as the new World No. 1.

Notably, Sabalenka didn’t lose a single set on her journey to the title, with the only close call being a tiebreaker against Coco Gauff of the USA in the semifinal.

The list of women who have successfully defended their Australian Open Singles Title in recent history includes:
– Aryna Sabalenka, Belarus – 2023, 2024
– Victoria Azarenka, Belarus – 2011, 2012
– Serena Williams, USA – 2009, 2010
– Jennifer Capriati, USA – 2001, 2002
– Martina Hingis, Switzerland – 1997, 1998, 1999
– Monica Seles, Yugoslavia – 1991, 1992, 1993

The focus now shifts to the men’s doubles final, where India’s Rohan Bopanna and his partner Matthew Ebden face off against the Italian duo of Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori. A win for Bopanna would make him the oldest player to win a Grand Slam title in any category. The men’s singles final is also set, with Russia’s Daniil Medvedev competing against Italy’s Jannik Sinner. With Novak Djokovic out of the tournament, the stage is set for a new Australian Open men’s singles champion this year.