Australian Open 2024: Aryna Sabalenka secures back-to-back titles with dominant win over Zheng in the final

Aryna Sabalenka defends her Australian Open crown with a commanding 6-3, 6-2 victory against Qinwen Zheng in the women's singles final, becoming the second player to achieve consecutive titles at Melbourne Park.

Ovaise Shariff

First Published Jan 27, 2024, 4:14 PM IST

Aryna Sabalenka successfully defends her Australian Open crown with a dominating victory over Qinwen Zheng in the women's singles final on Rod Laver Arena. Sabalenka, the world No. 2, secured a 6-3, 6-2 win in just an hour, becoming the second player to achieve back-to-back women's titles at Melbourne Park since Victoria Azarenka in 2012 and 2013.

Sabalenka's relentless performance throughout the tournament, where she didn't drop a single set, established her as the fifth player in history to win the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup without conceding a set. This feat includes her title-winning run in 2023, marking her 25th tour-level title.

The victory, improving Sabalenka's record to 2-1 in major finals, elevates her to the ranks of the 10th active player on the WTA circuit with multiple Grand Slam victories. This list includes Iga Swiatek, Naomi Osaka, Garbiñe Muguruza, Simona Halep, Petra Kvitova, Azarenka, Angelique Kerber, Svetlana Kuznetsova, and Venus Williams.

In her third Grand Slam final, Sabalenka took an early lead in the opening set, breaking Zheng to go up 2-0. Despite Zheng's attempts to break back, Sabalenka secured the first set 6-3 in 32 minutes. The Belarusian then broke twice in the second set, sealing the championship with a 5-2 victory and converting on her fifth championship point after a resilient effort from the No.12 seed.

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Last Updated Jan 27, 2024, 4:24 PM IST