Australian Open 2026: Elena Rybakina returns to the top after four years of waiting for second major title

Nearly four years have passed since Elena Rybakina celebrated victory at Wimbledon by humbly raising her right arm in the air.

“Maybe one day you will see a huge reaction from me,” she told the crowd that day.

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

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

But her return to the level that propelled her to her breakthrough success hinted that she might now finally be ready to consistently create those moments worthy of major celebration.

World number one Aryna Sabalenka and second-ranked Iga Swiatek have established themselves as the dominant players on the women’s tour in recent years. They have won eight of the thirteen slams since Rybakina’s victory at Wimbledon.

But Rybakina demonstrated her potential to bridge the gap by beating Sabalenka 6-4 4-6 6-4 in Saturday’s showpiece in Melbourne, having also overpowered Swiatek and sixth seed Jessica Pegula on her way to the title.

“I have always believed that I can get back to the level I was at [but] we all have ups and downs,” Rybakina said.

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

But we put a lot of work in as a team and when I wasn’t so positive, they helped me.

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