Sabalenka Finds Rhythm After Shaky Melbourne Start

In the charged atmosphere of Rod Laver Arena, Aryna Sabalenka stepped out under the Melbourne sun, the weight of two prior titles here pressing down. The top seed dropped the first three points and her opening service game to Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah, the 20-year-old French wild-card whose left-handed flat shots sliced through the early exchanges. But Sabalenka’s baseline power soon took over, her heavy topspin forehands redirecting pace into crosscourt winners that clinched a 6-4, 6-1 straight-sets victory.

The Belarusian’s preparation had been sharp, with a Brisbane title that featured a quarterfinal dismissal of Madison Keys, the American who thwarted her three-peat bid last year. Yet the first major always tests resolve, especially against an opponent firing unforced aggression from the backcourt. Sabalenka admitted the crowd’s icons added to the mix, her glances toward Rod Laver and Roger Federer fueling a mental tug-of-war.

Nerves spark an early test

Sabalenka’s serve, usually a weapon with its kick on these hard courts, wobbled as Rakotomanga Rajaonah pounced on second deliveries, forcing errors with deep returns. The wild-card’s underspin slices off the backhand kept rallies short, pulling the top seed wide and disrupting her one–two patterns from the baseline. By mid-first set, though, Sabalenka stepped inside the lines, unleashing inside-out forehands that opened the court and earned a crucial break at 4-all.

This adjustment spoke to her growth since the 2023 and ‘24 triumphs, where she’s dominated 90 percent of main-draw matches on Melbourne’s grippy surface. The lefty’s unorthodox angles tested Sabalenka’s depth, but her ability to redirect pace turned defense into down-the-line finishes. As the crowd’s murmurs built, she reset mentally, shrugging off the opener’s jitters to build momentum.

Dominance builds on hard-court edge

Into the second set, Sabalenka’s rhythm locked in, her serve gaining bite while Rakotomanga Rajaonah faded under the pressure of sustained rallies. Crosscourt backhands pinned the wild-card deep, setting up inside-in forehand winners that echoed through the arena. The 6-1 close felt inevitable, a display of the power that has anchored her 74th week at No. 1.

“I didn’t start my best. She showed up. Fired on. She was playing great,” Sabalenka said post-match. “It was a tricky start. I’m super happy I found my rhythm at the end of the second set.” This win, though not flawless, positions her to channel last year’s runner-up finish into deeper runs, where tactical edges against familiar foes could define her campaign.

Upsets shake the opening draw

While Sabalenka steadied, the women’s side saw turbulence, with Elsa Jacquemot outlasting No. 20 Marta Kostyuk in a grueling 6-7 (4), 7-6 (4), 7-6 (7) affair, her steady returns prevailing in the heat. Turkish qualifier Zeynep Sonmez stunned No. 11 Ekaterina Alexandrova 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, even pausing to assist a struggling ball kid before medical help arrived. Seventh-seeded Jasmine Paolini cruised past Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-1, 6-2, as No. 12 Elina Svitolina and Maria Sakkari advanced routinely.

Former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova withdrew with a shoulder injury, handing lucky loser Taylor Townsend a main-draw spot against Hailey Baptiste. Baptiste claimed the all-American clash on Court 13, 6-3, 6-7 (3), 6-3, after 2½ hours of gritty exchanges. These twists amplify the draw’s volatility, where Sabalenka’s path now weaves through potential rematches and the unforgiving Melbourne pace.