Aryna Sabalenka began the final with a double fault and finished sobbing on the ground. In a sense, it was the story of her previous year. Last year, the Belarusian was self-described as the “queen of double faults,” committing a tour-record 440 of them. She also acted at the behest of her own emotions and was rendered powerless in the face of an opponent’s defiance.
On Saturday, she was crowned champion after defeating both – and, in turn, Elena Rybakina. She regained composure after dropping the first set and after each of her 10 unsuccessful breakpoint opportunities.
When Sabalenka had her maiden championship point and double-faulted, she howled and shrugged her shoulders. Shake it off and reset. Three additional match points were required to ultimately cross the finish line.
The outcome was merited. The match seemed overwhelmingly potent, numbing the senses and shattering what we believed we understood about the women’s tennis leaders. At the beginning of this Australian Open, Iga Swiatek was the favorite. The form guide pitted the world’s best player against the rest of the field. Who would oppose her? Jessica Pegula was one, while Ons Jabeur was another.
Sabalenka’s remarkable Australian Open comeback
There were further options, but Sabalenka and Rybakina were not among them. Two players with similar skill levels but different execution strategies provided a captivating display of mental and physical mastery.
Rybakina does not look like a power player. The ball does not appear to get the full force of her body, and her ball-striking is devoid of all other sounds. There are no audible grunts, screams, or struggles. Rybakina moves as if he has ample time and space, and he hits as if he were casting a fishing rod.
Even while down 4-1 in the second set with pressure on her serve, she maintained composure and clarity throughout the 10-minute game that contained four deuces and three break points. Her reaction to this arduous hold was the same as when she won the following point with a forehand winner.
It was the same when Rybakina dropped the next four points. She occasionally allowed herself a modest fist pump after delivering expert tuition on how to translate defense into offense. Then, what would have necessitated a stronger emotional outburst? Obtaining the crown? Last year, when she won Wimbledon, the only response was a little fist pump.
Sabalenka’s shots is audibly audible
Whatever internal monologue pushed her at Melbourne Park until the very end will remain a mystery, but she showed grace under duress throughout a season in which she defeated three grand slam champions en route to the final. Against Sabalenka, as a strong contrast to the other end where the lid is about to burst.
Every one of Sabalenka’s shots is audibly audible, every minor success a cause for jubilation, and every mistake a calculated attempt to keep control. During this competition, she disclosed that she had ceased working with a psychotherapist. A few days earlier, she remarked, “I’ve realized that nobody except myself can assist.”
“During the preseason, I told my psychologist, ‘Listen, I feel like I have to deal with that on my own because every time I’ve hoped that someone else would fix my problem, it hasn’t worked.’
“I am just required to accept this duty and deal with it. I no longer work with a psychologist; I am now my psychologist.”
And Sabalenka was up against an opponent who was also predisposed to attack to the very end. The service of Serena Williams has been dissected by physicists, who will shortly examine the service of both of these players.
In this match, Rybakina’s first serve is a cannon that reached 195 km/h, even if it fell short, while Sabalenka pounced on her second serve and employed deadly angles to send down 51 wins.
As Sabalenka rose to her feet, Rybakina greeted her with a hug and a modest grin; Sabalenka then had her own Pat Cash moment by ascending to her player’s box. She stated while holding the trophy, that her victory was more about her squad than it was about her, amid cheers befitting an epic final.
