Defending champion and world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka blasted past 4th seeded Coco Gauff into the Australian Open Women’s Singles Final today on the Rod Laver Arena. The Belarusian tamed her US opponent 7-6 (7-2), 6-4 in 1 hour and 42 minutes to avenge her defeat by the American teenager in the last year’s US open final in September.
Sabalenka will face the winner of the 2nd Semifinal match between 12 seeded Zheng Qinwen and Ukrainian qualifier Dayana Yastremska in Saturday’s championship decider. Chinese Zheng and No. 93 Yastremska are playing their first-ever Grand Slam semi-final today.
The 25-year-old Sabalenka became the first player after Serena Williams to reach back-to-back Australian Open finals. Serena did it in 2016 and 2017. No one after Victoria Azarenka in 2013 could defend Women’s Singles Title successfully at the Melbourne Park.
Sabalenka is on a 13-match roll at Melbourne Park where she won her first-ever Grand Slam trophy last year. Gauff, on the other hand, reached the semifinals in 2024 unbeaten after winning a title in Auckland, New Zealand. The 19-year-old American was on a 12-match winning streak in Grand Slam tournaments. She was aiming to be the first player since Naomi Osaka in 2020-21 to win the US Open and the Australian Open back-to-back.
With the roof closed due to rain, Sabalenka won her opening serve to love and broke Gauff in the very next game. Gauff, on the other hand, opened with two double faults and won just one point in the first two games. The American, however, woke up before getting back to the contest immediately. Sabalenka Shanking two volleys on her next serve, opened the door for a break. The first set saw six service breaks, with both the players missing opportunities to serve it out.
Sabalenka got ahead of her American contender 5-2 but missed a set point as Gauff held firm and won four games in a row to take a 6-5 lead. Gauff failed to take advantage of her service because of Sabalenka’s booming returns. In the tie-break, Sabalenka took a quick 5-1 lead. Almost 30 minutes after her first set point, Sabalenka got five more and clinched on the second of those with the help of a big serve out wide. In the first set, Gauff had been able to win points on only three of her 17-second serves. It made her try harder, only leading to double faults.
Gauff saved two break points in the opening game of the 2nd set. The thrilling opening game continued 11 minutes before the match settled into a more normal rhythm with eight straight service holds. It all changed when the defending champion got a service break in the ninth game by attacking Gauff’s second serve and took a 5-4 lead. Sabalenka, however, missed the first match point when Gauff saved it with a forehand winner ending a 12-shot rally. An ace down the middle helped Sabalenka to earn another match point and she gladly clinched it to finish the match after 1 hour 42 minutes.
In a pre-match statement, Sabalenka said that she was motivated by revenge after the 19-year-old beat her in three sets at Flushing Meadows.
“I was able to focus on myself. I was prepared that she was going to move well and put all the balls back and I was just ready for anything. That was the key and support here,” she said after the match was over.
“ It’s always a great fight (against Gauff). She’s a great player and I enjoy playing her.”
She added, “I really hope that in the future we are going to play many more finals.”