credit: Twitter
World No.5 Aryna Sabalenka defeated Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina 6-4, 3-6, 4-6 in the Australian Open 2023 women's singles final on Saturday to claim her maiden grand slam title victory. After losing the first set of the final, the Belarusian ace produced a sensational comeback to beat the reigning Wimbledon champion.
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While the 24-year-old Sabalenka knocked out Poland's Magda Linette 6-7 (1-7), 2-6 in the women's singles semi-final, the 23-year-old Rybakina defeated Belarus' Victoria Azarenka in straight sets to reach the finals.
After winning the Adelaide International 1 on January 8, where Sabalenka defeated Linda Noskova 3-6, 6-7 (4-7) in the final, the Belarusian stretched her winning streak to 11 games. Her maiden grand slam victory received a tremendous applause from the fans while Sabalenka's coach Anton Dubrov broke down in tears.
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Watch the winning point by Sabalenka:
After accepting the trophy from legendary Billie Jean King, Sabalenka told the crowd, "Thank you guys so much for an amazing atmosphere. It was enjoyable to play in front of you, thank you so much." With global politics revolving around tennis , Aryna Sabalenka became the first player to win a Grand Slam title while playing under a neutral flag.
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