Following back-to-back Australian Open wins, Aryna Sabalenka has now lost two consecutive finals with Elena Rybakina defeat.By News AgenciesPublished On 31 Jan 202631 Jan 2026Click here to share on social mediashare2ShareFollowing two years of triumph at the Australian Open, Aryna Sabalenka is now processing another two years of pain – and a series of missed chances in Melbourne that have left her “really upset”.A year on from losing the final in three sets to American Madison Keys, Sabalenka fell 6-4 4-6 6-4 to Elena Rybakina on Saturday, the Russia-born Kazakh turning the tables on the Belarusian who beat her for the 2023 title.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list“I was really upset with myself, I would say, because once again I had opportunities,” Sabalenka said.“I played great until a certain point, and then I couldn’t resist that aggression that she had on court.”While the Keys shock left Sabalenka inconsolable and her racket in pieces, defeat to fifth seed Rybakina had its own unique sting.The world number one held a 3-0 lead in the third set and had all the running before former Wimbledon champion Rybakina broke back in the fifth game and stormed to her second Grand Slam trophy.“She made some winners. I made a couple of unforced errors,” Sabalenka continued.“Of course, I have regrets. You know, when you lead 3-0 and then it felt like in a few seconds it was 3-4 and I was down with a break. So it was very fast.“Great tennis from her. Maybe not so smart for me but, as I say, today I’m a loser, maybe tomorrow I’m a winner, maybe again a loser. Hopefully not. We’ll see.”It was Sabalenka’s second significant loss to Rybakina in a few months, having been beaten for the season-ending WTA Finals crown.More alarmingly, it was her third loss in her last four major finals, with Coco Gauff flooring her at last year’s French Open. Advertisement Sabalenka did not lose a set coming into the Melbourne final and had won 46 of her 48 previous matches at hardcourt Grand Slams.Now Rybakina, one of the few players able to match her for power, has dealt Sabalenka’s aura a heavy blow.Sabalenka laughed ruefully and shrugged through her post-match news conference but was honest enough to admit she had been despondent outside the room.On …
