Lessons from Elena Rybakina’s 2026 Australian Open win

First up, we obviously have to start with Elena Rybakina taking her second Grand Slam trophy, coming back from a 3-0 deficit in the final set to upset Aryna Sabalenka. It was a rematch of the 2023 final in Melbourne, which the Belarussian took in three sets, but the Kazakh was calm, cool and collected when the going got tough. Rybakina’s previous Slam win was at the 2022 Wimbledon championships, when Russian/Belarussian athletes were banned from participating and tying in the investigation of coach/partner Stefano Vukov, her road to Grand Slam glory wasn’t smooth by any means. After she sealed her win with an ace, she finally showed some emotion with a cracked smile. When you hear athletes having “ice in their veins,” they’re likely hanging a picture of Rybakina on their wall. The bigger question now is whether or not she can reach new heights and continue the train of momentum she’s been churning.

For Aryna Sabalenka, it’s yet another three-set Grand Slam loss in the final. In fact, she’s 4-4 in major finals and all four losses have come in a final set. What’s perhaps even crazier is her last 15 Grand Slam losses have all come in deciders, with her 2020 U.S. Open second round loss to Victoria Azarenka being the last one. A few she’s had match points or some at least a break up, so you have to wonder for someone so aggressive on court, what’s holding her back. The World No. 1 mentioned being outplayed and doesn’t pinpoint any specific reason of those woes.

In just their seventh tournament together, Elise Mertens and Zhang Shuai captured Grand Slam glory with a win over Anna Danilina and Aleksandra Krunic. They reached the final in their only previous major together (2022 Wimbledon) and as a result, Mertens climbs back to the Doubles No. 1 ranking. While Mertens took home the WTA Finals with Veronika Kudermetova, where she said she and the Russian would be teaming up for 2026, the Belgian-Chinese duo said they’re playing together and will link up next in the Middle East.

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Olivia Gadecki had a disappointing loss in singles qualifying and then in women’s doubles, but roared back to defend her mixed doubles crown with John Peers. The all-Aussie duo beat Kristina Mladenovic and Manuel Guinard to become the first repeat mixed doubles champions in Melbourne for the first time since 1988-89. The last time two Aussies repeated at the tournament was before the Open Era in 1963-64. Like I mentioned many moons ago, I’d like to see a mixed doubles ranking be implemented, while also adding it to the combined events.

Ksenia Efremova has been touted as a prospect to watch for many years, but the Frenchwoman finally broke through at the junior elite level by winning her first Girl’s Singles major. She’s taken titles at the $15,000 level of the ITF World Tour but hopes to be in Grand Slam qualifying territory within the next year.

What a two weeks for both semifinalists in Elina Svitolina and Jessica Pegula, with both reaching their best finish Down Under. While their straight sets losses were disappointing, do keep an eye out on them being darkhorses to potentially scrape out another semifinal (or better) finish.

While the entire fortnight in Melbourne was a bit tame overall, things did heat up regarding player privacy. After Coco Gauff was routed in the quarterfinals, she went to escape behind closed doors to break a racquet, but the broadcast cameras that track behind-the-scenes captured it and displayed it for the world to see. Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley assured that players’ needs will be met moving forward.

Now, on to links!

This Week in Women’s Tennis

This week’s tournaments formally kick off the partnership between the WTA and Mercedes Benz.

Not to ring any alarm bells, but word on the street is that Serena Williams will announce her comeback to tennis during a Super Bowl commercial on Sunday.

While some might take a breather after the first major of the year, the tour doesn’t stop. The Middle East swing kicks off this week, with the WTA 500 in Abu Dhabi the first event taking place.

It was a surprise that this didn’t make bigger news, but Top 10 players from both the WTA and ATP apparently turned down an offer from three of the Grand Slams that would help give them more say at the top of the game.

One big off-court story to keep an eye on is Craig Tiley leaving Australia to take over the USTA. The famed University of Illinois coach is keen on innovation and brought up perhaps the Australian Open adopting best-of-five sets for the women from the quarterfinals on. Ultimately, if that’s the case, I want the men to have the same so we can get rid of any “the men deserve more” conversation.

Alex Eala’s impact on Philippine tennis is already making big waves, with overcrowded stands and a brand new WTA 125 tournament kicking off her 2026 season.

Ash Barty continues to give back to young Australian players, this time with a clinic to 30 young girls.

There’s a new documentary focused on Billie Jean King that’s getting rave reviews at festivals and even garnering some potential Oscar buzz.

The 2026 ITA Division I Women’s National Team Indoor Championship kicks off this week in Illinois with defending champions Georgia and North Carolina the two teams to beat.

Jessica Pegula and Iva Jovic were announced as two of the headliners for the ATX Open in a few weeks.

Tweet of the Week

I personally love seeing Jennifer Capriati back not only in the tennis circle, but proactively speaking. I hope we see more of her:

Five at The IX: Australian Open finals

Q. Congratulations. Was there ever any time in the past four years since Wimbledon when you ever had any doubts that you would win your second slam, or were you always convinced that given that you are a top-10 player, that you have been kind of around, that this would happen for you?

ELENA RYBAKINA: I always believed that I can come back to the level I was. Of course, we all have ups and downs. Like I think everyone I thought or maybe I will never be again in the final or even get a trophy, but it’s all about the work.

I think we’ve been putting a lot of work in with the team, and they were also very supportive. In the moments when I was maybe not that positive, they would be helping out on the side.

Of course, when you getting after some wins, big wins against top players, then you start to believe more, you get more confident. That was the kind of way.

Q. Just on that, I think you said the other day that there were mistakes you’d made in the past, which you felt you’d understood and kind of mastered that. So was it sort of different stuff that went wrong today than in the past?

ARYNA SABALENKA: No, I feel like, yeah, overall it was much better than last year, two finals I lost. Level-wise and decision that I was making and the way that the mentality was throughout the whole match that I was still there, I was ready to fight, I knew that she’s not going to give it easily to me.

So I think overall I made huge improvement on that, and I still lost it. But it’s okay. I feel like I’m moving towards the right direction.

Q. Congrats. Why do you think you’re so good playing together? Because it’s not always given that two great singles players are going to match up in doubles. You’ve been good right away together. What makes the difference?

ELISE MERTENS: I think that we adapt well to each other in a sense that we communicate well, and we are both kind of, like, fighters on court. We don’t want to give any presents to the opponent.

So, yeah, I think both are kind of similar in that way that we give 100% always, if it’s singles, if it’s doubles, and we have that mentality. So I think that’s why we, you know, work well together.

If something is wrong, then we kind of communicate, okay, what do you think I should do best? Experience, too. I think we’ve been to these stages before, both of us, which kind of helps.

So, yeah, I think that’s why.

Q. Congratulations. How does this one feel compared to last year’s win?

OLIVIA GADECKI: Thank you. How does it feel? Just as good as last year, if not better, I would say.

Yeah, it’s pretty incredible to be back-to-back Grand Slam winners. Even saying that out loud is crazy, and I’m still trying to kind of comprehend it, but it’s so nice to get it at home in front of friends and family.

To share this moment with Peersy is pretty incredible. Yeah, just soaking it all up.

Q. Lastly, I assume you’re planning to play the rest of the junior Grand Slams this year. Have you given any thought to when you will focus more on the WTA Tour, or what’s your sort of plan with that transition?

KSENIA EFREMOVA: Yeah, for sure, definitely I would play some pro tournaments more. The thing is that we have limitation of — you know, junior, they have limitation of playing unlimited tournaments.

So I have to be careful with the amount how much I play, and I have to choose well tournaments where I can get in and, you know, score some points.

So for sure I’m going to continue to play Grand Slam juniors, some big tournaments, and more focus on the pros. To be ready for the next year, my goal is to become top 200 to enter the quallies, you know, of the Grand Slam and, of course, of all other tournaments. Yeah, that’s my goal.

Now I’m going to, for example, play 125K in Paris, WTA, which is going to be a good tournament, and yeah.