Rybakina Grinds Past Juvan in Melbourne Opener

Elena Rybakina walked onto Margaret Court Arena under Melbourne’s morning sun, the weight of her 2023 final loss lingering like a shadow from three years back. She faced Kaja Juvan, the No. 100 player fighting with underdog grit, and turned a tense opener into a 6-4, 6-3 win in just 1 hour and 12 minutes. This victory marks her seventh straight first-round triumph here, a steady pulse amid the Australian Open’s building frenzy as other Top 10 players notch early advances.

Juvan’s resistance sparks tactical duel

Juvan opened with sharp slices crosscourt, pulling Rybakina wide and testing her footing on the Plexicushion hardcourts that reward quick adjustments. Rybakina countered with heavy topspin forehands, pinning her opponent deep and setting up a 1–2 pattern that forced errors at 4-all in the first set. The crowd’s murmurs swelled as Juvan held firm, but an inside-out winner from Rybakina sealed the break, echoing the poise she showed in ousting the Slovenian during her 2023 title charge.

The second set brought more variety from Juvan, her net approaches adding urgency to the rallies, yet Rybakina’s flat backhands down-the-line exploited the surface’s true bounce. Juvan’s inspired play peaked in prolonged exchanges, but Rybakina absorbed it all, her serve holding under the arena’s echoing cheers. This rematch stirred faint déjà vu, Rybakina’s mental edge turning potential cracks into controlled dominance.

Surface amplifies Rybakina’s power game

Melbourne’s hardcourts suit Rybakina’s penetrating strokes, letting her serves skid low and groundstrokes drive through without fading. She stepped inside the baseline more in the later games, turning defense into offense with crosscourt depth that limited Juvan’s angles. The win eases early-season pressure, her game adapting to the bounce while defending points from last year’s deep run.

Check the Australian Open: Scores | Draws | Order of play for updates on the tournament’s unfolding drama. Rybakina’s solidity here buffers her Top 10 standing, especially with the field’s seeds advancing steadily.

Gracheva rematch tests growing confidence

Next up is Varvara Gracheva, a familiar opponent Rybakina has beaten twice on hardcourts, where her serve-volley edges shine. She’ll lean on varied second serves with slice to disrupt patterns, building on this opener’s momentum amid a packed 2026 schedule of majors. With psychological echoes from past semifinals fueling her, Rybakina’s path hints at unfinished business in Melbourne, her steady progress weaving into the season’s high-stakes narrative.