Aryna Sabalenka has clinched back-to-back Australian Open titles with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Zheng Qinwen in the women’s final
Winning her first Grand Slam title in Australia a year ago gave Aryna Sabalenka the confidence she could do it again. Losing the U.S. Open final last September gave her the extra motivation.
No. 2-ranked Sabalenka clinched back-to-back Australian Open titles with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Zheng Qinwen on Saturday in a one-sided women’s final that contrasted sharply with her comeback three-set victory here over Elena Rybakina last year.
Sabalenka set the tone by breaking Zheng’s serve early in each set in a 76-minute victory over 21-year-old Zheng, who was making her debut in a Grand Slam final.
The journey and the destination were equally important for Sabalenka.
In the semifinals, she avenged her U.S. Open final loss to No. 4-ranked Coco Gauff with a straight-set win over the reigning major champion.
That followed straight-sets wins over 2021 French Open winner Barbora Krejcikova in the quarterfinals and Amanda Anisimova in the fourth round. She didn’t drop a set all tournament, and only one — a tiebreaker against Gauff — went past 10 games.
“I’m definitely a different person and a player and I have more experience playing the last stages of the Grand Slams,” Sabalenka said, reflecting on the last 13 months.
