How Aryna Sabalenka won her second Australian Open title in a row

MELBOURNE, Australia — Zheng Qinwen's first serve to Aryna Sabalenka in the Australian Open women's final on Saturday was sent back over the net with so much venom that she nearly passed the world No. 12 before so that she cannot stick her racket into it. .

It was that familiar sign of immediate intent from Sabalenka, something that had served him well this fortnight at Melbourne Park. It also left no doubt as to which player would dictate the terms of this match.

For 75 minutes, Sabalenka intimidated her Chinese counterpart, blasting her way to Australian Open glory for the second time in as many years. Her 6-3, 6-2 triumph over Zheng capped one of the most dominant runs to a Grand Slam title in tennis history, with Sabalenka a perfect 14-for-14 in sets, losing just 31 games on the way to the title.

Sabalenka, 25, never gave Zheng, a first-time major finalist, a moment of relaxation. The world number 2 delighted in her serve, the same serve that proved to be Zheng's greatest asset in her journey to the final. If Sabalenka failed to hit a near-unrecoverable ball, it was only a matter of seconds before she controlled the point and her opponent rushed behind the baseline.

Zheng, 21, had no response to the attack. Instead, the barrage from the other side of the field seemed to drain his confidence. She committed six double faults, including three in her first service game of the second set, giving Sabalenka another immediate break.

When it was Sabalenka's turn to serve, the final seemed even more one-sided. She won 84% of the points in which she landed her first serve and, aside from her first service game, didn't give up a single break opportunity until the final game, when those pesky championship point nerves kicked in again the top.

“I'm speechless right now,” Sabalenka said after securing the match for the fourth time. “I don't know how to describe my emotions. I'm super, super happy and proud of everything I've been able to accomplish. I just have to keep fighting for my dream and believe that my dad is watching me and is very proud of Me. “.

From the moment Sabalenka began defending her Australian Open title, there was a looming sense of inevitability: she was once again destined to be the last woman standing at Melbourne Park.

While it's not uncommon for one of the world's best players to dominate their first-round opponent in a grand slam, Sabalenka's 6-0, 6-1 demolition in 53 minutes of German qualifier Ella Seidel looked like a remarkable performance. In no way was she suffering the effects of an Australian Open hangover, rather she was picking up where she left off 12 months ago.

The trend of “blink and you’ll miss it” matches continued all the way to the semifinals. Sabalenka never conceded more than three games in a set as she advanced to the final four. And while fourth-seeded American Coco Gauff tested her in the semi-finals, she rose to the challenge in such a way that almost every tennis expert was convinced she would repeat her 2023 triumph two days later.

There weren't many of those pressure moments in Saturday's final, but it shows how Sabalenka managed to put the result beyond doubt before the sun started to set on Rod Laver Arena.

The scariest thing for Sabalenka's rivals may well be that she is still an unfinished project. Few, if any, can match her power and aggression, but knowing how to control them and ensure they are used to her advantage rather than her detriment is something she is only beginning to learn. Her understanding of when to attack and when to play more conservative tennis, in a way that doesn't take away from her obvious strengths, was on display in Saturday's final.

In the first set, Sabalenka quickly fell into a 0-40 hole after breaking to take a 2-0 lead. But there was no sign of panic or worry. No sign of trying to force something that wasn't there. Instead, she calmly got out of trouble, recording five straight points to avoid the break.

“I think Sabalenka is one of the toughest opponents I have faced,” Zheng said after the match. “She’s a really aggressive player. She takes the pace away from the other players.

“It's so important to organize your own service game [against Sabalenka], because she had very good service. But I couldn't do that. »

It took time for Sabalenka to learn that she shouldn't always take unnecessary risks by trying to draw the lines on every groundstroke. She now sometimes opts for a more calculated approach, forcing her opponents to make mistakes – and it's proving even more effective.

Most would agree that her title run this fortnight has been even more impressive than the way she achieved the feat 12 months ago, but in this campaign she has hit exactly half the number of winners she did. had done in 2023. Instead, the damage was done. by forcing his opponents to make mistakes. It was no different in the final, with Zheng committing 32 forced errors over the two sets, almost one point in three.

There is no denying that Sabalenka has been the most consistent player on the women's tour since her breakthrough at Wimbledon in 2021. Since then, no player has won more matches than her on the Slam stage. She has appeared in the final four of seven of the last nine major tournaments, made three finals and has now won two.

Iga Swiatek will continue to hold the title of world number one, but Sabalenka has closed the gap considerably over the past 15 months. And with the trajectory she seems to be on, it's only a matter of time before she usurps him.

“I thought I didn't want to be that player who wins [a Grand Slam] then I disappeared,” Sabalenka said after the final. “I just wanted to show that I am capable of being consistent and that I am capable of winning another one.

“Now having two Grand Slam titles has definitely given me more confidence and belief in myself. I'm where I'm supposed to be, so that's really important.”