Australian Open Day 14 - Elena Rybakina comes back to defeat Sabalenka for first AO crown

Elena Rybakina has won the Australian Open! It looked like it was heading for a repeat of the 2023 Final where Sabalenka came back to win in three sets but Rybakina had a comeback of her own from 3-0 down in the Final set, storming back to close out the match 6-4 4-6 6-4. It was a long wait for a second major for Rybakina who triumphed at Wimbledon in 2022 but has had ups and downs professionally and personally but managed to set all of that aside to win in Melbourne. She moves up to number three in the ranking and adds the trophy to her recently won WTA Finals title to establish herself as the form player on the WTA Tour.Joel and Kim ask how high can Rybakina go and question why Sabalenka isn’t able to close out major finals despite being the dominant force on the tour. Sabalenka is now 4-4 in grand slam finals and has won just 1 of her last 4 since her 2024 US Open triumph. They also announce the winner of collect a set and who is taking home the official AO cap and they wrap-up the doubles where Zhang and Mertens and Harrison and Skupski came out on top. They also make their last observations ahead of the Men’s Finals the day after the semi-final epics in Melbourne Park.AO Travel & Experiences Learn more and book your tickets through AO Travel & Experiences at ausopentravel.comSOCIALSFollow us on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, plus email the show [email protected] Tennis Weekly Merch through our Etsy store including limited edition designs by Krippa Design where all proceeds go towards the podcast so we can keep doing what we do!REVIEWS***Please take a moment to rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your pods. It really means a lot to us at HQ and helps make it easier for new listeners to discover us. Thanks!*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.