Sabalenka Successfully Defends Australian Open Title

Aryna Sabalenka, Australian Open, Melbourne
Aryna Sabalenka (photo: Tennis Australia/Morgan Hancock)

MELBOURNE/WASHINGTON,January 27, 2024 (by Michael Dickens)

Aryna Sabalenka swept aside all of her challengers, one after another, and did not drop a set throughout the 14 she contested at the 2024 Australian Open. With one final, majestic cross-court forehand winner on her fifth championship point, the 25-year-old Belarusian successfully defended her Australian Open women’s singles title on Rod Laver Arena Saturday night.

The World No. 2 and second-seeded Sabalenka swept aside No. 12 seed Zheng Qinwen of China, 6-3, 6-2, in an hour and 16 minutes to win her second straight Australian Open title. The sequel was just as satisfying as the original.

The 6-foot Sabalenka, who raised her arms in a subdued elation and blew a simple kiss to the sky, became the first woman to win back-to-back AO titles since Victoria Azarenka won in 2012-13. Sabalenka also became the fifth woman to win the Australian Open without dropping a set since 2000.

Throughout, Sabalenka handled the big-moment pressure best as all of the other top seeds, including No. 1 Iga Swiatek and No. 3 Elena Rybakina, bowed in the first week. Then, Sabalenka eliminated No. 4 seed Coco Gauff, whom she lost to in the 2023 US Open final, in the semifinals. Finally, behind a powerful attack that saw her win 84 percent of her first-serve points and hit 14 winners to 14 unforced errors, Sabalenka beat Zheng by taking full advantage of three breaks of her opponent’s serve without being broken. She outpointed Zheng 62-46.

The loss ended the fairy tale run of the 15th-ranked, 21-year-old Chinese star, who was hoping to replicate the success of another Chinese star, Li Na, who won the Happy Slam title 10 years ago in 2014. Despite coming up short at her first major final in her ninth Grand Slam try, Zheng will move up into the Top 10 in next week’s WTA rankings.

“Congrats to Aryna for having such a wonderful match here,” Zheng said during the trophy ceremony. “It’s my first final. I feel a little bit of pity but that’s how it is. It’s an experience for me. … I feel right now a bit complicated. I feel I could do better but I didn’t in this match. … I’m sure there will be more and better in the future.”

Soon after, Sabalenka received the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup trophy for the second straight year from Australian Hall of Fame great Evonne Goolagong Cawley, who this year celebrated the 50th anniversary of her third of four Australian Open titles.

In an age of great depth and personality in the women’s game, Sabalenka became the 10th woman in the Open Era to win two Grand Slams, alongside Tracy Austin, Mary Pierce, Li Na, Amelie Mauresmo, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Petra Kvitova, Simona Halep, Garbiñe Muguruza and Azarenka.

“Now, having two Grand Slam titles,” Sabalenka remarked in her champion’s news conference, “it’s definitely given me more confidence and belief in myself. And I just had this knowing, that all my life, it wasn’t like wasting my time, and I was doing the right thing. I’m where I’m meant to be. So, that’s really important.”

Sabalenka, who has always shown big-hitting potential — but often fell pressure to the mental side of tennis — has come a long since her 2023 season, in which she reached the semifinals of all four majors but had only one Grand Slam trophy to show for it. Despite spending eight weeks ranked No. 1 last fall, at times, Sabalenka began to doubt herself.

“But yeah, I mean, it takes me so much time to become who I am right now on the court, to have this control of myself and to understand myself better,” she said. “Yeah, it’s been a long journey and a way to go. I just said it, like, I’m going to retire after today. But, no,  too early, I think. I still can do something else. But, yeah, it takes me a little while to become who I am now.”

What Sabalenka has become is a well-rounded two-time major champion, who is destined to win many more.

Bopanna is a major champion at age 43

Rohan Bopanna produced his best tennis when it mattered. Already assured of rising to Doubles world No. 1 on Monday — the oldest in men’s doubles history — the 43-year-old Indian became the oldest man to win a major crown as he and Australia’s Matthew Ebden won the Australian Open men’s doubles title Saturday night on Rod Laver Arena.

The No. 2 seeds defeated Italians Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori, 7-6 (0), 7-5, in an hour and 39 minutes. They won 80 percent of their first-serve points, did not face a break point on their serve, and outpointed their opponents 80-66.

“What an amazing tournament,” Ebden said during the trophy ceremony. “He is 43 years old; this is his first men’s Grand Slam doubles title! Age is not a number to this guy. He is young at heart. He is a champion and a warrior. He has fought hard alongside me the past year and I am forever grateful to him.”

Bopanna added: “As Matt said, you definitely know how old I am. I’ve changed it a bit and said I’m a level 43, not age 43. Obviously, this couldn’t have been possible without a fantastic Aussie partner by my side. Thanks to Matt. We had a fantastic season last year. For me to win my first men’s doubles grand slam here at the Asian Pacific grand slam, it’s totally a home slam.”

After having lost in the finals of the 2010 and 2023 US Open, Bopanna is the third Indian man in the Open Era to win a major men’s doubles title, following Leander Paes (8-time winner) and Mahesh Bhupathi (4-time winner).

Meanwhile, the 36-year-old Ebden now has garnered two Grand Slam men’s doubles titles, following his 2022 Wimbledon success with fellow Aussie Max Purcell. He’s the 28th Australian man to win an Australian Open men’s doubles title.

Sakamoto captures AO junior boys’ title

Rei Sakamoto, 17, of Japan defeated the Czech Republic’s Jan Kumstat to become the first Japanese player to win an AO junior singles title.

The No. 4 seed Sakamoto defeated 17-year-old Kumstat, 3-6, 7-6 (2), 7-5, in two hours and 11 minutes on Rod Laver Arena Saturday afternoon.

Sakamoto hit six aces, won 89 percent of his first-serve points and struck 40 winners overall. He outpointed Kumstat 115-104.

In celebration, Sakamoto dropped to one knee and mimicked drawing a sword with his tennis racquet, explaining it means “samurai.”

“I’m happy to win this tournament,” Sakamoto told reporters in his news conference. “Naomi Osaka. Kei Nishikori inspires me a lot. They let me have like a big dream.”

Around Melbourne Park

  • Japanese teenager Tokito Oda upset World No. 1 Alfie Hewitt of Great Britain, 6-2, 6-4, to win the men’s wheelchair singles title on Kia Arena Saturday. It avenges the 17-year-old Oda’s straight-set defeat to the eight-time major champion Hewett in Melbourne last year.

The victory means that Oda now holds three of the four major singles titles, after winning 2023 crowns at the French Open and Wimbledon.

“I didn’t change my play style and anything, but I just grew up to the next level,” Oda said.

“But it’s been one year I play and I practice aggressive play, and practicing the one thing, focus one thing to play aggressive and then go to the net, hit the smash, hit strong forehand.

“So that makes me to get this trophy. … I think that was difference last year and this year.”

  • Dutch star Sam Schroeder won his third straight quad wheelchair singles title Saturday on Kia Arena. The No. 2 seed defeated No. 4 seed Guy Sasson of Israel, 6-3, 6-3. He dropped only 10 games in his four matches.

Half of Schroeder’s six Grand Slam quad singles titles have come in Melbourne. “I think I always feel very at home, very comfortable at the AO,” he said.

By the numbers

A twilight session/women’s final attendance of 39,113 on Day 14 set an Australian Open record for second Saturday twilight session/women’s final, breaking last year’s mark of 31,653.

The cumulative attendance for Days 1-14 is 974,398, breaking the previous two-week record of 839,192 set last year.

The cumulative three-week attendance, which includes qualifying week, is 1,064,292, which betters the 2023 mark of 902,312.

“Quotable …”

“I think we just knew that we could keep trusting our level. We knew we each had a really great level to bring, and then it was about finding a way to make it work. There was no reason it couldn’t or shouldn’t work. …

“I think we both challenged each other to improve in certain areas. I think that part of the partnership has been a godsend maybe for both of us, because I feel like we both improved a heck of a lot over 12 months ago. I know I certainly have. I’ve seen Bops playing incredible this last 6 to 9 to 10 months as well.

“I think we’ve been really good for each other, pushing each other, encouraging each other, and almost learning from each other’s strengths, and then borrowing each other’s strengths and learning and sort of improving our games wholeheartedly.”

— Matthew Ebden, during his champion’s news conference, explaining the road to success that he and Rohan Bopanna have enjoyed en route to winning the Australian Open men’s doubles title.

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