Aryna Sabalenka eased into the Australian Open final on Thursday, taking down Elina Svitolina in straight sets.
Sabalenka, who is looking to lift her third trophy in Melbourne, was rarely challenged as she cruised to a 6-2, 6-3 win over the Ukrainian 12th seed.
Martina Navratilova had offered Svitolina some tips on how to beat Sabalenka before the match, but it didn’t seem to make much of a difference. The Belarusian was simply too strong from start to finish.
Just one more win would give her a third Australian Open title in four years. To get there, she’ll need to get past either Elena Rybakina or Jessica Pegula.
Aryna Sabalenka joins elite company with fourth straight Australian Open final
According to OptaAce, Aryna Sabalenka has become just the third player in the Open Era to reach at least four consecutive women’s singles finals at the Australian Open.
Sabalenka, who won back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024, fell short in the 2025 final against Madison Keys before returning this year.
The last person to do it was Martina Hingis, who reached her sixth straight final in 2003. Hingis won three titles between 1998 and 2000 but then finished runner-up for three years running from 2001 to 2003.
Evonne Goolagong is also part of this exclusive group. Between 1971 and 1976, she appeared in six straight finals and made seven finals over an eight-year span from 1971 to 1978.
Sabalenka will look to carry over her semi-final form into Sunday’s final as she aims for a third Australian Open title.
Aryna Sabalenka dominates path to 2026 Australian Open final
Sabalenka has looked unstoppable throughout this year’s tournament. The 28-year-old hasn’t dropped a set yet, moving past players like Iva Jovic and Victoria Mboko without much trouble on her way to the final.
But the real test will come in the final, especially if she faces Rybakina, who reached the final back in 2023 and has a game that can go toe-to-toe with Sabalenka’s power from the baseline.
Rybakina even got the better of her in their most recent meeting at last year’s WTA Finals. It should be quite a matchup if they meet again on Sunday.
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