Sabalenka Powers Through to Brisbane Repeat

Aryna Sabalenka stepped onto Pat Rafter Arena wrapped in green and gold, the colors blending with Brisbane’s humid haze as she eyed another Australian conquest. The world No. 1 faced Marta Kostyuk in the final, a player fresh off toppling Amanda Anisimova, Mirra Andreeva, and Jessica Pegula, but Sabalenka’s baseline barrage proved too much. She wrapped the match 6-4, 6-3 in 1 hour and 18 minutes, not dropping a set all week and lifting her 22nd career trophy—her fifth Down Under—to surpass Azarenka for third among active players behind Venus Williams and Iga Swiatek.

Sabalenka’s heavy topspin forehands dominated from the outset, pinning Kostyuk deep and forcing hurried replies under the arena’s glare. Kostyuk countered with flat backhands and quick transitions, her upsets earlier in the draw fueling a gritty response, yet the Belarusian’s mental steel kept the pressure on. This victory, her first of 2026, sets the stage for an Australian Open charge where she enters as top seed, defending last year’s runner-up finish to Madison Keys.

Early breaks spark the fightback

Sabalenka held serve to love in the opening game, her delivery kicking high off the hard court, then pounced for an early break at 1-0. She grinded through four break points before converting with a deep inside-out forehand that Kostyuk stretched for but couldn’t reach, surging to 2-0 and then 3-0 on the back of a probing 1–2 pattern. Kostyuk, seeking her first title above WTA 250 level since 2023, ignited with three straight games, her underspin slices disrupting the rhythm and down-the-line backhands leveling at 3-all amid rising crowd murmurs.

The set stayed on serve until the 10th game, where Kostyuk’s slight hesitation on a net cord opened the door. Sabalenka broke cleanly, her crosscourt forehand winner sealing the frame while winning 100% of her first-serve points—a stat that highlighted her serve’s evolution into a reliable anchor on these medium-paced courts. This exchange tested both players’ resolve, Kostyuk’s breakout week clashing against Sabalenka’s experience in tight openers, the air thick with the scent of impending momentum shifts.

Front-running crushes any resistance

The second set opened with familiar dominance: Sabalenka held easily, then broke for 2-0 using a heavy return that jammed Kostyuk’s second serve, extending to 3-0 with varied depths to keep her opponent guessing. A drop shot lured Kostyuk forward, followed by a crosscourt forehand that painted the line for 4-1, the Ukrainian’s shoulders slumping as errors mounted on stretched inside-out attempts. Sabalenka served out the match at 5-3, facing just three break points all day—saving two—and converting three of eight chances herself, her 81% first-serve points underscoring the serve’s psychological edge.

While Kostyuk’s run propels her back to the Top 20, the final revealed the gap in closing under fire, her flat drives faltering against Sabalenka’s topspin wall. Wins over Karolina Muchova and Madison Keys earlier tuned Sabalenka’s adjustments, like lofting higher loops to combat the court’s true bounce, priming her for Melbourne’s similar surface. The Pat Rafter crowd erupted as she lifted the trophy, the victory dissolving pre-major nerves into focused hunger.

Starting the year with silverware 🏆@SabalenkaA | #BrisbaneTennis pic.twitter.com/APn7OuaCrn

— wta (@WTA) January 11, 2026

Sabalenka’s Brisbane repeat weaves into her arc of resilience, transforming the solitude of No. 1 into shared triumph with fans who’ve tracked her rise. Kostyuk carries encouragement into the Australian Open, her third-round exit last year to Paula Badosa now fuel for a deeper push. As Sabalenka heads south, this silverware sharpens her pursuit of a third Melbourne title, the hard courts awaiting her unyielding fire.