Elena Rybakina rode resounding strikes—and endured escalating drama—to return to the Australian Open final.
Rybakina ripped a backhand return down the line converting her fourth match point in closing a 6-3, 7-6(7) conquest of Jessica Pegula in tonight’s Australian Open semifinals.
“It means a lot. Thank you so much for coming and watching us play—it was such a battle,” Rybakina told Rod Laver Arena fans afterward. “It was an epic second set and I’m really glad I managed to win it.
“Jessica played so well in the second set. She fought to the end. I’m just super happy to be in the final.”
Rybakina more than doubled Pegula’s winner total—31 to 14—and hit six aces with no double faults scoring her 19th win in her last 20 matches. Rybakina has beaten nine straight Top 10 opponents in that superb span.
A hard-fought win propels Rybakina into Saturday’s final against world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.
Earlier, two-time AO champion Sabalenka swept 12th-seeded Elina Svitolina, 6-2, 6-3, to become the first woman since the legendary Hall of Famer Martina Hingis in 2002 to advance to four consecutive AO finals.
This AO final is a rematch of the 2023 AO final, which Sabalenka won 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 to capture her maiden Melbourne championship.
“It was a great battle we played,” Rybakina said of her rematch with Sabalenka. “I think just in the end she played a bit better.
“She won that match—very deserved—I want to enjoy, that’s for sure, the final. Hopefully I’m gonna serve better today and that will help me, but we’ll see.”
In their last meeting, Rybakina saved two set points in the 10th game then powered through a perfect tiebreaker sweeping Tiebreak Tiger Sabalenka 6-3, 7-6(0) to capture her maiden WTA Finals championship in Riyadh last November.
Overall, Sabalenka leads their head-to-head series, 8-6, with eight of their 14 matches going the three-set distance.
At the WTA Finals, Rybakina completed a dominant undefeated Riyadh run raising the Billie Jean King title trophy, registering her 11th consecutive victory—and collecting a WTA record champion’s check of $5.235 million.
“You literally smashed me out of the court,” Sabalenka told Rybakina afterward. “Very well done. I’m happy to see you play your best tennis. Nice comeback at the end of the season.”
Facing maiden AO semifinalist Pegula, Rybakina played with both power and poise.
After the fifth-seeded American fought off three match points in the ninth game of set two, Rybakina twice failed to serve out the match as her forehand failed her at times. Still, Rybakina showed stiff resolve erasing two points in the tiebreaker as she rallied from 4-5 down winning four of the last six points.
“Pretty proud, no matter the situation was,” Rybakina said. “I was winning and then of course it got very tight. I still stayed there. I was fighting for each point.
“The match started pretty well compared to the previous matches I played. Overall a lot of positives I take.”