Sabalenka Understands She’s The One To Beat At Australian Open

Aryna Sabalenka, with Jannik Sinner
Aryna Sabalenka with Jannik Sinner (photo: Tennis Australia/Fiona Hamilton)

MELBOURNE/WASHINGTON, January 17, 2025 (by Michael Dickens)

Without much fanfare, World No. 1 and two-two defending Australian Open women’s champion Aryna Sabalenka has punched her ticket round-by-round and finds herself into the round of 16 for the fourth straight year after defeating Denmark’s Clara Tauson, 7-6 (5), 6-4, in two hours and six minutes on Rod Laver Arena Friday afternoon. One thing’s certain: Top-seeded Sabalenka is focused on getting herself through each match.

The 26-year-old from Belarus ran her Melbourne winning streak to 17 straight – the most by any woman at the AO since fellow Belarusian Victoria Azarenka won 18 straight between 2012 and 2014 – after her take-down of Tauson. The 22-year-old Danish has been one of the top players on the WTA Tour in 2025 after winning her first seven matches of the new season, plus garnering a 250-series title earlier this month in Auckland, New Zealand.

Meanwhile, Sabalenka has proven her mettle by winning a 500-series crown at Brisbane during her tune-up for the AO. Now, after defeating American Sloan Stephens, Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro and Tauson – all in straight sets – which improved her win-loss record for 2025 to 8-0, Sabalenka understands why she’s the one to beat in Melbourne.

“They play good and I have to play better so this is the way I improve my game, and I love it,” Sabalenka said after defeating Bouzas Maneiro on Wednesday. “Girls can go [out] there and just play without any fear, without anything to lose, they can put you in [a] really uncomfortable position.”

Sabalenka added: “Super happy to have finished this match in straight sets, she played incredible tennis.”

Against Tauson, Sabalenka started shaky but got stronger as the match wore on. She showed great mental strength by the end of the opening set after earlier being broken four times by Tauson. Sabalenka finally won the 63-minute first set on her fifth set-point opportunity after ripping a forehand winner that stopped Tauson dead in her tracks.

Then, in the second set, Sabalenka’s physicality pushed her to victory. By the end of the match, Sabalenka had accumulated 39 winners to offset 25 unforced errors, converted six of 17 break points and outpointed Tauson 95-86.

“It was a great battle and [Clara] played unbelievable tennis,” Sabalenka said during her on-court interview. “It was really tough to play against her today. I’m super happy I was able to stay in the match; I was able to push myself to the limit and try my best to get this win.”

Sabalenka was asked to rate her mental strength against Tauson. She replied: “Honestly, I was playing this match and thinking, ‘Wow girl! You’re really tough.’ So many times, I thought I was done.”

Next, Sabalenka, who has won 30 of her last 31 matches in hard-court Slams (AO, US Open), will oppose either No. 14 Mirra Andreeva of Russia or No. 23 Magdalena Frech of Poland on Sunday.

Just who has better coffee, Sydney or Melbourne?

During their on-court interviews on Rod Laver Arena Thursday following their respective wins, Poland’s Iga Swiatek and Alex de Minaur of Australia were both asked: Just who brews the finest coffee in Australia, Sydney or Melbourne?

After Swiatek committed an unforced error by declaring Sydney’s coffee better than Melbourne’s when asked by interviewer Jelena Dokic, Sydneysider de Minaur remained more judicious in giving a thumbs up to Melbourne. He told interviewer John Millman, a former Aussie pro who retired after last season, that he would be seeking out the city’s best coffee on his off-day Friday.

“I better keep this amazing crowd on my side,” said de Minaur, sounding rather diplomatic, “there’s no better place for coffee than Australia.”

De Minaur’s comment drew plenty of laugher from the crowd.

Meanwhile, earlier in the afternoon, when Dokic asked Swiatek how Melbourne coffee compared to the rest of the world, the former World No. 1 responded: “I’ve got to say, in Sydney I found better coffee shops.”

Once Swiatek realized she might have offended the crowd despite speaking from recent experience of playing in Sydney, she followed by saying: “I am only drinking it before the match. So, I didn’t do the right research. So, sorry for my answer.

“Overall, I think in Australia, it’s hard to get wrong coffee; every coffee shop keeps a really great quality. And my order will always [have] flat white with oak milk.”

Around the Australian Open

• No 18 seed Donna Vekic of Croatia fought off No. 12 seed Diana Shnaider of Russia, 7-6 (4), 6-7 (3), 7-5, in two hours and 58 minutes on Margaret Court Arena to move into the fourth round for the third time in Melbourne.

In making her 13th appearance at the AO, in which her best finish was a quarterfinal run two years ago, the World No. 19 Vekic relied upon her experience to push her to the finish line after Shnaider was up a break and serving for the match at 5-3 in the final set. She’s won two of her three matches during the first week by going the distance, including her second-round win over Great Britain’s Harriet Dart.

Vekic hit 10 aces, won 74 percent of her first-serve points, struck 44 winners and converted six of nine break points. She outpointed the World No. 13 Shnaider 123-116.

Next, Vekic will oppose No. 27 seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia on Sunday.

• No. 27 seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia, playing in her 63rd career Grand Slam main draw, ended the run of 36-year-old Laura Siegemund of Germany, 6-1, 6-2, in an hour and 32 minutes on John Cain Arena. Siegemund, who was the oldest player remaining in the women’s draw, was unable to sustain the momentum from ousting World No. 5 Zheng Qinwen a round earlier.

The 33-year-old Pavlyuchenkova won 65 percent of her second-serve points and 44 percent of her receiving points against Siegemund.

• Women’s doubles No. 1 seeds Katerina Siniakova of Czechia and Taylor Townsend of the United States are through to the third round after defeating Shuko Aoyama and Eri Hozumi of Japan, 7-6 (4), 6-2, in an hour and 44 minutes on 1573 Arena. Siniakova and Townsend combined to hit 25 winners and converted six of nine break-point chances. They outpointed their opponents 75-66.

Friday’s Australian Open results

Saturday’s Australian Open order of play

By the numbers

American teenager Learner Tien, 19, is through to his first major third round in his fourth Grand Slam. Among teenage American men, Tien is the first to beat a Top-10 opponent at the Australian Open and first to beat a Top-10 opponent in a major since Michael Chang defeated Guy Forget at the 1991 French Open. He’s also the youngest American man to reach the AO third round since 18-year-old Pete Sampras in 1990.

“Quotable …”

“I was definitely hoping it wouldn’t go to a fifth-set breaker, but I’m just happy to get a win. I know I made it a lot harder than maybe it could have been. … Losing the third was tough after playing for that long and having a match point. I didn’t even get to touch the ball I don’t think, it was an ace. So it was a little disappointing to see a fourth [set] after fighting back from a break down in the third.

“Honestly in the fourth set I just had to pee so bad, so I was trying to finish it up fairly quick. But I also wanted to start the fifth serving, so I scrapped that game at 0-5, and it all worked out.”

– American qualifier Learner Tien, following his 5-set comeback victory over World No. 5 Daniil Medvedev of Russia, which ended at 2:54 a.m. Friday and lasted four hours and 49 minutes. It was the fifth latest finish all-time at the Australian Open and sixth latest in Grand Slam history.

 

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