After the final set, both players were dominant on serve, with only three of the first 19 games offering break point opportunities.
Rybakina made her intentions clear with an immediate break at Rod Laver Arena, coming back from 0-30 down on the Sabalenka serve to register the perfect start.
The Kazakh dropped just three points in her first three service games and ignored two break points with consecutive, accurate first serves to hold a 5-3 lead before closing out the opener.
Looking for an immediate response, Sabalenka applied further pressure at the start of set two, but an unwavering Rybakina served her way out of three break points.
However, there was no escape as Sabalenka forced three more break points as Rybakina served to stay in the set, with the top seed seizing her chance to force a decider.
That’s where the final really took off. Rybakina refused to panic as Sabalenka threatened to storm to victory with a five-game run from 4-4 in the second to 3-0 in the third.
Sabalenka took advantage of a weak service game from her opponent, with Rybakina making just one first serve before withstanding a break point to extend her lead in the deciding set.
But Rybakina broke back two games later when unforced errors crept into Sabalenka, who let her emotions get the better of her during last year’s Grand Slam final losses.
Buoyed by renewed confidence, Rybakina reset serve after Sabalenka rejected the chance for a break for a 4-2 lead – and then struck again in the next game as the top seed faltered.
Serving for the championship, she didn’t blink as Sabalenka closed to 30-30, impressively blocking pressure and producing two huge serves to seal the win.
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