After a hard-fought battle as the favorite to win Saturday’s Australian Open final, Aryna Sabalenka relied on her aggressive playing style and topped Elena Rybakina, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, in a come-from-behind victory for her first Aussie Open and Grand Slam title.
It’s obviously a monumental moment any time a tennis player wins their first major tournament. But for Sabalenka — the 24-year-old Belarusian player who’s currently ranked No. 5 in the world — this Aussie Open run was a comeback from basically the opposite of her performance this time last year. In the 2022 tournament, she surprisingly lost in the fourth round but stormed back with a title a year later, relying on her serve to take down Rybakina on Saturday.
Here’s a look at Sabalenka’s Australian Open victory celebration with 10 stunning photos: