Aryna Sabalenka has made quite a name for herself in Australia. In the last two years, she has won back-to-back titles, losing only one set in the process. Surprisingly, that loss came last year in the finals against Madison Keys, a match that turned out to be quite the upset.
Her success isn’t limited to the Australian Open. In fact, she has claimed five of her 22 career singles titles on Australian soil. Recently, she tuned up for the major by winning the Brisbane International.
However, not everything has gone smoothly for Sabalenka. In her match against 118th-ranked Rakotomanga Rajaonah, she faced some unexpected challenges. The first set was messy; she got broken in the very first game. Although she quickly broke back, she dealt with 13 unforced errors, which canceled out 16 impressive winners.
Yet, Sabalenka found her rhythm. After saving a critical break point, she dominated the match, winning five consecutive games. “I didn’t start my best. She showed up on fire and she was playing great,” Sabalenka commented, reflecting on her slow start.
Looking ahead, Sabalenka aims to reach her fourth straight Australian Open final. Next, she’ll face either Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova or Bai Zhuoxuan in the second round. If she wins, a potential matchup against Britain’s Emma Raducanu in the third round could draw a lot of attention.
What’s interesting to note is that Sabalenka’s performance aligns with a recent trend in women’s tennis. Many fans now expect more upsets and surprises, as seen in the initial rounds of major tournaments. This unpredictability has added to the excitement of watching the games.
For more insights on women’s tennis and player performance, you can read further on WTA’s official website.
