World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka seized control of the final on Sunday, winning five consecutive games from a 4-4 tie in the first set and concluding the match in just 79 minutes with a score of 6-4, 6-3.
Sabalenka, defending her title at the Queensland Tennis Centre, where she won the 2023 edition, won the trophy without losing a single set throughout the tournament. This would be her fifth Australia title and 22nd in her career overall after Victoria Azarenka, and placing her third at the WTA Tour among active players, behind only Venus Williams and Iga Swiatek.
“It’s really special… I’m able to start this season on an extremely high note. Yeah, happy with the level I was able to get through this week,” she said. Furthermore, Sabalenka is one of just three women who have effectively protected her opening season WTA 500 crown, along Serena Williams and Karolina Pliskova. Based on statistics from WTA, she is the third-most ranked winner in terms of total tournament wins, behind that of Venus Williams and Iga Swiatek (49, 25).
The win will be well-timed for the 27-year-old Belarusian with her aiming for a third title in four years at the Australian Open starting January 18 in Melbourne. “Every day you go out there and get your level out there and demonstrate it, and I think this week I did it really well,” Sabalenka said after she continued her undefeated streak in the tournament. Preparing for the Australia Open, it is clear: “The only thing I can say is that I know I will be there, I will be fighting.” Last year’s final at Melbourne Park was lost by Sabalenka to Madison Keys. “I’ll do my best to go as far as possible,” she added. “And a little bit better than last year. That’s my focus.”
With her first title of 2026 secured, Sabalenka now moves on to defend her runner-up position in the Australian Open following a runner-up finish to Keys last season. She prepares to be the top seed while running after another Melbourne title.
In contrast, Kostyuk will crack the Top 20 of WTA Rankings on Monday and appears set for a greater challenge this year at the Australian Open compared with last year’s early loss in Round Three to Paula Badosa. Even though Kostyuk lost all her previous appearances by a set against Sabalenka, she did catch up on an early break but tripped again late in the first set as Sabalenka ramped up the energy.
The 16th seed set her sights on just a second WTA singles title in her first final run in two years but buckled under Sabalenka’s thunderous groundstroke. A single break at the beginning of the second set gave Sabalenka one big break to seal the championship when Kostyuk netted her first championship point. Having to contend with emotions when giving supporters a rare opportunity to speak with her about the conditions at home back in Ukraine, where officials are desperately trying to get heating and water supplies in the country back to normal as a result of air-borne Russian bombings devastated by the conflict,
Kostyuk said: “I want to say a few words about Ukraine… There are thousands who are without light and warm water right now… it’s very painful to live this reality every day.” As she pondered that today’s temperatures are a contrast to those home during the winter months and when it’s really cool, she said: “It’s hot in Brisbane so it’s hard to imagine… but my sister is sleeping under 3 blankets because of how cold it is at home.”
Sabalenka’s latest appearance has been to date the second in a row: She has won an Open title since she claimed her fourth Grand Slam crowning at this time of year last September.
Brisbane Men’s Open top finalist Daniil Medvedev beat Brandon Nakashima with a 6-2, 7-6 (7-1) win and scored his own milestone, reaching a total of 22 ATP titles from different tournaments. The former world No.1 has finished as runner-up at the Australian Open three times—in 2021, 2022, and again in 2024—before ending an impressive stretch of over two years without securing any titles by winning at October’s Almaty Open.
