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Aryna Sabalenka cried tears of relief and joy after clinching her elusive maiden Grand Slam title over Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, but one small detail has been left out on her Australian Open trophy.
Seeded fifth, Sabalenka rallied from a set down to defeat Rybakina 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 at Melbourne Park on Saturday night to finally shed her tag as the best player without a major. .
Sabalenka’s decisive victory caps off a glorious unbeaten summer in which the 24-year-old also claimed the Adelaide International title, dropping just one set in 11 matches to return to No.2 in the world rankings.
Aryna Sabalenka cried tears of relief and joy after clinching her elusive maiden Grand Slam title over Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, but one small detail has been left out of her Australian Open trophy.
Seeded fifth, Sabalenka rallied from a set down to defeat Rybakina 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 at Melbourne Park on Saturday night.
Ash Barty returned to Rod Laver Arena on Saturday night to present the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup before the Belarusian controlled her nerves in a gripping final game to deny Rybakina a second strike in seven months.
Sabalenka’s name was engraved on the trophy shortly after the match, which she realized while doing a post-match interview.
‘Oh my God, I already have my name! Wow. This is really amazing. They are all stars. All those names,’ she exclaimed.
However, when cameras zoomed in on the trophy, it was revealed that Sabalenka’s country of origin was not engraved on the award as it had been for all champions before her.
However, when cameras zoomed in on the trophy, it was revealed that Sabalenka’s home country was not recorded as it had been for champions before her.
Sabalenka is from Belarus, which backs the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and is therefore not currently recognized by the Association of Professional Tennis Players or the Women’s Tennis Association.
Australian Open participants from Russia and Belarus are only allowed to compete if doing so as neutral players not playing under their national flag or country name.
Those players didn’t have a national flag next to their name when they appeared on TV broadcasts, instead having to make do with a blank space.
Sabalenka holds the distinction of being the last player to defeat Barty in a final, beating Australia’s former world number 1 in Madrid in 2019 before the 26-year-old’s shock retirement, 12 more titles and three Grand crowns. Slam later, last March.
Barty was happy for Sabalenka to take center stage as she finally delivered her undeniable talent.
The Belarusian finally shed her label as the best player to never win a Grand Slam.
But it wasn’t easy, as Rybakina saved three match points in an epic final game before Sabalenka saluted and collapsed on court in relief and perhaps disbelief as well.
I’ll need a few days to realize what just happened. I’m speechless’, Sabalenka said.
“It was super emotional, I was very happy that I was able to handle all the emotions in the last game.”
Her success completes one of the great transformations in the sport after Sabalenka, pinned down by service yips, departed Melbourne last year following a soul-destroying 56 double faults in just four matches.
Sabalenka celebrates with her team after the victory comeback
With 428 doubles on tour for 2022, Sabalenka desperately turned to a psychologist, and the results have been impressive.
The once fragile and volatile dissatisfied talent has not lost since falling to Caroline Garcia in last year’s season-ending championship final in Texas and upsetting Rybakina, the Open’s leading ace, 17-9 in the final. .
I lost three Grand Slam semifinals and it was a really difficult time. She really needed me to understand what she needed to change and improve,” Sabalenka said.
‘I am super happy to break this wall.
The once fragile and dissatisfied talent hasn’t lost since falling to Caroline Garcia in last year’s season-ending championship game in Texas.
‘Thanks to my team, the craziest team on the circuit. We went through a lot of low points last year, but we worked very hard. You deserve this trophy more than me.
Coming into her long-awaited first Grand Slam final, Sabalenka’s nerves showed early when she lost the first set with five dreaded double faults.
But she refused to cede, quickly countering with a break in the fourth game of the second set, an advantage the fifth seed later refused to cede.
Closed to one set apiece, Sabalenka nabbed the decisive break at 3-3 in the decider and held serve two more times, the last time amid unbearable tension in her box, to seal victory on her fourth point of the match. match after an exciting two hour, 28 minute contest.
Sabalenka couldn’t wipe the smile off her face after the victory, even if her homeland had been wiped out of her first Grand Slam trophy.
After knocking out world number 1 Iga Swiatek in the fourth round, then Jelena Ostapenko in the quarterfinals and double Australian Open winner Victoria Azarenka in the semifinals, Rybakina was the first woman since Jennifer Capriati ago. 22 years in beating three major champions in Melbourne Park.
Unfortunately, the rising star fell short in his courageous quest to emulate Barty by claiming the Australian Open title a year after winning Wimbledon.
Instead, the 23-year-old will have to settle for the consolation prize of a rise up the rankings to the world’s top 10 for the first time on Monday.
‘Elena, you are a great player.’ Said Sabalenka.
“I know we’re going to have a lot more battles, hopefully in Grand Slam finals.”