Aryna Sabalenka to face Elena Rybakina in 2023 Australian Open Women’s Final

Elena Rybakina (Twitter)

The 2023 Australian Open women’s final will take place on Saturday, and we now know the finalists. Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan, the reigning Wimbledon champion, and the tournament’s 22nd seed, will face the fifth seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus.

Sabalenka accomplished a personal milestone on Thursday. In beating Magda Linette of Poland 7-6, 6-2, she reached her very first grand slam final. Sabalenka previously made three grand slam semifinals, but lost each time. She was beaten 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 to Karolina Pliskova of Czechia at Wimbledon in 2021, 7-6, 4-6, 6-4 to Leylah Annie Fernandez of Canada at the U.S. Open in 2021, and 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 to Iga Swiatek of Poland at the U.S. Open in 2022. Of the three players Sabalenka lost to in a grand slam semifinal, only Swiatek won the title. 

Rybakina continued to beat a grand slam champion at the 2023 Australian Open. On Thursday in the semifinals, Rybakina beat two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka of Belarus 7-6, 6-3. Rybakina previously beat the number one seed and reigning French Open champion and U.S. Open champion Iga Swiatek of Poland 6-4, 6-4 in the fourth round, and then 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia 6-2, 6-4 in the quarterfinals. Azarenka won two consecutive Australian Open titles in 2012 and 2013.

Sabalenka has won all three prior meetings against Rybakina. The first meeting came in the quarterfinals of the 2019 Wuhan Open, which Sabalenka won 6-3, 1-6, 6-1. The second meeting came in the quarterfinals of Abu Dhabi in 2021, which Sabalenka won 6-4, 4-6, 6-3. The last meeting came at a major, with Sabalenka being victorious in the fourth round of Wimbledon, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3. All three prior meetings have gone the distance with Rybakina winning the second set each time.

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