Aryna Sabalenka has kept her flawless start to the Australian Open intact, easing past Victoria Mboko in straight sets.
The top seed hasn’t lost a set yet, with wins over Tiantsoa Sarah Rakotomanga Rajaonah, Zhuoxuan Bai, Anastasia Potapova, and now Mboko.
Sabalenka has been using a more unpredictable approach at this year’s tournament, and it’s paying off as she chases her third Grand Slam title in Melbourne.
She also made history during the match by winning her 20th consecutive tiebreak, breaking Novak Djokovic’s record. The Serbian reacted quickly on social media.
Djokovic jokes about Aryna Sabalenka taking his record
Sabalenka started strong against Mboko, taking the opening set 6-1. She then needed a tie-break in the second to close out the match.
The world number one has been almost unbeatable in tie-breaks, dropping just a single point against Mboko to seal both the set and the victory.
With that win, Sabalenka moved past Djokovic to take sole possession of the record for consecutive tie-break wins. They had previously been tied.
Reacting on social media, Djokovic posted: “I’m upset right now” along with an angry emoji and a tiger, which is often used as a symbol for Sabalenka.
The two players share a good relationship off court and are often seen together away from their matches.
They’ve both reached the Australian Open quarter-finals. Djokovic advanced after Jakub Mensik withdrew from their match.
Inside the connection between Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic
The two have often spoken highly of each other, and Sabalenka has frequently turned to Djokovic for guidance throughout her career.
Sabalenka has previously mentioned a conversation she had with Djokovic before the 2025 US Open final, where she went on to beat Amanda Anisimova to claim the title.
Although she didn’t share exactly what was said, Sabalenka credited that chat with helping her stay focused and motivated through the tournament.
“So we talked for an hour probably, but with Novak you always can spend more than that talking and asking for advice,” Sabalenka said at the time.
“And then later on, going to the US Open final, I remembered what he said, what he told me, and I think it helped me to get the title.”
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