Australian Open 2026: Elena Rybakina returns to the top after four-year wait for her second major title

It’s been almost four years since Elena Rybakina celebrated her Wimbledon win by humbly raising her right arm in the air.

“Maybe one day you’ll see a huge reaction from me,” she told the audience that day.

But that’s not the 26-year-old’s style.

After ending her wait for another Grand Slam title with a win at the Australian Open, the Kazakh player clenched a fist and shook her head briefly in a mixture of relief and disbelief.

But her return to the level that led her to her tremendous success indicated that she may now, finally, be ready to constantly create those moments that deserve big celebrations.

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and No. 2 Iga Swiatek have proven to be the dominant players on the women’s tour in recent years, winning eight of the 13 titles since Rybakina won Wimbledon.

But Rybakina showed she can close the gap by beating Sabalenka 6-4 4-6 6-4 in Melbourne on Saturday, having also beaten Swiatek and sixth seed Jessica Pegula on her way to the title.

“I always believed I could get back to the level I was at [but] “We all go through ups and downs,” Rybakina said.

“I thought I might never again be in the final, or even get the cup.

“But we put in a lot of work as a team and in the moments when I wasn’t positive they helped.

“When you get big wins against the best players, you start to believe more and become more confident.”