“The job is not done yet”
Aryna Sabalenka secured her place in a fourth consecutive Australian Open final with a straight-sets victory, extending her impressive run in Melbourne without dropping a set.
Speaking on court after the match, Sabalenka admitted she was still processing the achievement, while keeping her focus firmly on the task ahead.
A dominant performance and unfinished business
“I honestly cannot believe it,” Sabalenka said. “It’s an incredible achievement, but the job is not done yet. I’m super happy with the win. She’s such a tough opponent and was playing incredible tennis throughout the whole week.”
Sabalenka highlighted the level of her opponent, noting her return to the top 10 and victories over elite players on the way to the semifinals, while also underlining her own aggressive approach.
“I was watching her game a lot. She was playing incredible against Mertens and against Coco. I felt like I had to step in, stay close to the baseline and put as much pressure on her as I could. I’m glad the level was there today and that I was able to win in straight sets.”
Perspective on consistency and legacy
With four Grand Slam titles, 75 weeks as world No.1 and now four consecutive finals at Melbourne Park, Sabalenka finds herself in rare company. She is only the second woman in history to achieve this feat at the Australian Open, following Martina Hingis nearly 30 years ago.
Asked what her 10-year-old self would think if she could see her now, Sabalenka became emotional.
“I think she would be super proud. I would never have imagined I could make it to the top 10, let alone be this consistent and play on such big stages in front of so many people. It feels like a dream life, and I’m grateful every single day for everything I have.”
Recovery mode before the final
With the final scheduled for Saturday, Sabalenka now has time to reset both physically and mentally before stepping onto court again.
“I need to decompress,” she said with a smile. “I’m on season two of Homeland, so that’s probably the plan — Netflix, some recovery, maybe dinner with the team, and then I’ll be ready to go.”
Sabalenka will return to Rod Laver Arena aiming to cap off another dominant Australian Open campaign with a championship performance in the final.
For a detailed breakdown of the semifinal and how the match unfolded, read our full Sabalenka vs Svitolina match analysis.