MELBOURNE: Belarusian professional tennis trailblazer Aryna Sabalenka scripted an astounding comeback from a set down to edge reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina to win the Australian Open 2023.
The Belarusian tennis player fought hard for her first grand slam title with an astounding 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 triumph in the enthralling final that lasted 2hr 28min at Rod Laver Arena.
Unlike the final outcome, Sabalenka got off to a shaky start as Rybakina breezed through the first set in a mere 34 minutes, but the Belarusian fought back in the second set, which lasted 57 minutes, to force a nail-biting decider.
The nail-biting decider then lived up to its title with both players pushing each other rigorously but Sabalenka held her composure to eventually sail through.
Following her first grand slam title, Sabalenka will now rise to the second spot in the WTA Rankings, equalling her career high.
Meanwhile, the reigning Wimbledon champion and Australia Open runner-up Rybakina will enter the Top 10 for the first time.
The Kazakhstan-hailed tennis player earned no ranking points for her Wimbledon glory because of the ban on Russian and Belarusian players in the most coveted tennis grand slam.
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