‘Always believed’: Rybakina sheds ‘one-hit wonder’ moniker in sweet silence

The rest of the tennis world may have begun writing her off as a one-hit wonder, but now two-time major champion Elena Rybakina “always believed” she was going to return to the top pedestal in the sport and win another grand slam tournament before too long.

Rybakina, who becomes the world number three after her victory in Australia, wasn’t tipped as the tournament favourite, but was certainly one of the in-form players of the early rounds. She’d won at the WTA Finals last November — she beat Aryna Sabalenka there, too, 6–3, 7–6 (0) — and had a (rare) fire burning to prove her Wimbledon win wasn’t a blip.

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The suggestion she was a one-slam wonder came from one place: When she’d won in England in 2022, the Russian and Belarusian players on the tour hadn’t been allowed to play. Some accused Rybakina of beating an ‘easy pool’ due to those bans.

Well, they were all able to play at the 2026 Australian Open, including no.1 Sabalenka, and she still won. Not just that, but the Kazakhstani looked near unbeatable through the bracket, dropping just one set (in the final) — and with her triumph at Melbourne Park, the 26-year-old has proven she deserves a seat at the top tennis table for good.

“I always believed that I can come back to the level I was,” the newest AO champ declared, referencing her peak at Wimbledon years ago. “We all have ups and downs. Like everyone, I thought maybe I will never be again in the final, or even get a trophy, but it’s all about the work. We’ve been putting a lot of work in with the team, and they were also very supportive.

Rybakina added, “In the moments when I was maybe not that positive, they would be helping out on the side. When you’re getting after some wins, big wins against top players, then you start to believe more, you get more confident.”

“We did good preparation,” she then said, referencing her trainers, including once-banned coach Stefano Vukov. “We had some ups and downs during the preseason, even beginning of this year, first tournament. I’m just super glad. It’s a win for all the team, all the people who support me. I just hope I can carry this moment throughout the season and keep on improving.”

Rybakina most likely next plays at the Qatar Open from February 8; it’s a compulsory WTA 1000 event.

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Meanwhile, defeated opponent Sabalenka said she was “really upset” with herself, and admitted she’d struggled to overcome the aggression Rybakina had through the opening set and again late in the third. The women’s world no.1 is now 4–4 in major finals, and may have some searching to do before her campaign at the French Open in May.

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Or not, maybe, because Sabalenka was quick to talk about how well she thought she played in the Aussie decider. “I played great tennis here,” she said. “Even in this final, I feel like I played great. I did my best, today she was a better player.”

“We’ll speak with the team,” she added. “Now they try to avoid me… it’s not really healthy to be around me now.”

Sabalenka is also due to play in Qatar this month, as well as the Dubai Champs on February 15.