Summary

  • Elena Rybakina beats Aryna Sabalenka 6-4 4-6 6-4 to win Australian Open

  • Fifth seed Rybakina claims second Grand Slam title after 2022 Wimbledon triumph

  • World number one Sabalenka suffers third loss in past four Grand Slam finals

  • Rybakina will rise to third in world rankings

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Live Reporting

Phil Cartwright, Harry Poole and Millie Sian

  1. game, set and match

    Game, set and match - Rybakina
    Breaking

    Sabalenka 4-6 6-4 4-6 Rybakina

    SEALED WITH AN ACE!

    ELENA RYBAKINA IS THE 2026 AUSTRALIAN OPEN CHAMPION!

    Elena Rybakina celebrates after victoryGetty Images

  2. Championship point Rybakina

    Sabalenka 4-6 6-4 4-5 Rybakina*

    A big first serve by Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka can't get it back.

    Match point and championship point...

  3. Sabalenka 4-6 6-4 4-5 Rybakina*

    Another forehand cracked away for a winner by Elena Rybakina, but back comes Aryna Sabalenka with a backhand return for 30-30.

    Aryna Sabalenka plays a backhandGetty Images

  4. Sabalenka 4-6 6-4 4-5 Rybakina*

    Elena Rybakina's forehand breaks down under big pressure from Aryna Sabalenka. 0-15.

    But she responds in brilliant fashion with a winner down the line. 15-15.

  5. Sabalenka 4-6 6-4 4-5 Rybakina*

    Jonathan Jurejko
    BBC Sport tennis news reporter in Melbourne

    How's your nerve, Elena?!

    Elena Rybakina twice could not serve out victory against Jessica Pegula in the semi-final before coming through a second-set tie-break.

    Let's see if she can do so now...

  6. 'Sabalenka is wound up'

    Sabalenka 4-6 6-4 4-5 Rybakina*

    Annabel Croft
    Former British number one on BBC Radio 5 Live

    I don't know how to describe Aryna Sabalenka's body language at the moment.

    She is flailing her arms around and displaying a bit of defiance or petulance. I don't quite know how to describe it, but she is wound up.

  7. Rybakina serving for title

    Sabalenka 4-6 6-4 4-5 Rybakina*

    Elena Rybakina has won just the one Grand Slam title in her career to date and that was at Wimbledon in the summer of 2022.

    She's four points away from a second major title.

    Elena Rybakina speaks with her coachGetty Images

  8. Sabalenka holds - Rybakina serving for title

    Sabalenka 4-6 6-4 4-5 Rybakina*

    Aryna Sabalenka holds to 15 and ensures that Elena Rybakina will need to serve it out if she's going to be champion in Melbourne for the first time in her career.

    Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka looks at her racquetGetty Images

  9. Get Involved

    Click the 'Get Involved' button to have your say

    Jon @ 10:35 - Elena Rybakina's supporters are not fools after all now, are they?

    Sam, Coventry

  10. 'Sabalenka isn't controlling herself'

    *Sabalenka 4-6 6-4 3-5 Rybakina

    Annabel Croft
    Former British number one on BBC Radio 5 Live

    A horrible game for Aryna Sabalenka [when she lost serve for a second time] - I'm not sure she could have hit the ball too much worse than that.

    You could feel the tension around the court, there was absolute silence before she put the ball into the net.

    She isn't controlling herself, she is actually beating herself. Sometimes I think that when she gets stressed, she starts to lose shape on the ball because she starts to panic.

  11. *Sabalenka 4-6 6-4 3-5 Rybakina

    Jonathan Jurejko
    BBC Sport tennis news reporter in Melbourne

    Did anyone see this coming about 20 minutes ago? Not really. Certainly not with any degree of confidence.

    Aryna Sabalenka has been known to wobble in Grand Slam finals, though, even when she got over the line at the US Open in September.

    After keeping her cool earlier, she is now all over the place. She's just booted something near her box, then dropped and kicked her racquet across the court.

  12. Rybakina holds

    *Sabalenka 4-6 6-4 3-5 Rybakina

    There's one of the holds of serve.

    Aryna Sabalenka bounces her racquet off the court after losing game point and is now serving to keep her Australian Open hopes alive.

    Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan celebratesGetty Images

  13. Sabalenka 4-6 6-4 3-4 Rybakina*

    An extended clench of the fist from Elena Rybakina after sealing that break of serve. She's come from 3-0 down to lead 4-3 with a break in this final set.

    Hold serve twice and she'll be the Australian Open champion for the first time.

  14. Rybakina breaks

    Sabalenka 4-6 6-4 3-4 Rybakina*

    Elena Rybakina sends a forehand return into the net. One chance gone, one more to come...

    Second serve - Sabalenka into the net with a forehand!

    Aryna Sabalenka reactsGetty Images

  15. Break points Rybakina

    *Sabalenka 4-6 6-4 3-3 Rybakina

    Two more break points for Elena Rybakina to complete the turnaround in this deciding set...

  16. 'Sabalenka seems to have completely lost her way'

    *Sabalenka 4-6 6-4 3-3 Rybakina

    Annabel Croft
    Former British number one on BBC Radio 5 Live

    Aryna Sabalenka just seems to have completely lost her way with this match.

    Everything is just flying off the strings, whereas before she looked completely in control of her groundstrokes.

    It has all gone back to how it was at the beginning of this final. There is so much tension.

    Listen to the closing stages of the women's final on BBC Radio 5 Live via the link at the top of this page.

  17. Rybakina holds

    *Sabalenka 4-6 6-4 3-3 Rybakina

    Back level in the decider.

    More twists and turns in this deciding set than a twisty-turny thing.

    Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan reactsGetty Images

  18. Sabalenka 4-6 6-4 3-2 Rybakina*

    Jonathan Jurejko
    BBC Sport tennis news reporter in Melbourne

    A couple of days ago, many were saying this was a dull Australian Open.

    Well, it had been. Let this be a lesson in deferred gratification, people.

    It had been a slow-burner but, after yesterday's cracking men's semi-finals and now this tense battle, the hob has been turned up.

  19. Rybakina saves break point

    Sabalenka 4-6 6-4 3-2 Rybakina*

    Ooof, a second serve for Aryna Sabalenka to attack and she goes just wide with a cross-court backhand.

    Deuce.

    Aryna Sabalenka plays a backhandGetty Images

  20. Break point Sabalenka

    Sabalenka 4-6 6-4 3-2 Rybakina*

    Aryna Sabalenka's powerful return forces Elena Rybakina to go long.