Behind her thoughts Aryna Sabalenka did not need, in her phrases, to be that participant who wins a serious title and disappears.
Profitable her first Grand Slam crown in Australia a yr in the past gave Sabalenka confidence she might do it once more. Dropping the US Open last final September gave her further motivation.
Sabalenka ensured she was not a one-hit surprise by claiming back-to-back Australian Open titles with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Zheng Qinwen on Saturday in a one-sided girls’s last that contrasted sharply together with her comeback three -here victory final yr achieved on Elena Rybakina.
“I simply wished to point out that I could be constant there and that I can win one other one,” she mentioned. “So in comparison with final yr, it is a fully totally different me. In comparison with the US Open, once more, it is a totally different me; I am extra managed and do not let the remainder of the issues get into my thoughts.”
In 2022, Sabalenka struggled a lot together with her serve in tense moments that she doubted whether or not she might win a serious. Now she depends on it to interrupt down opponents. She didn’t hit a double fault within the last and didn’t face a break level.
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The second-seeded Sabalenka set the tone with large, deep forehands and transformed service breaks early in every set in opposition to the 21-year-old Zheng, who was making her debut in a Grand Slam last.
The journey and the vacation spot had been equally necessary to Sabalenka.
Within the semifinals, she avenged her final US Open loss to No. 4 seed Coco Gauff with an outright victory. That adopted straight-sets victories over 2021 French Open winner Barbora Krejcikova within the quarterfinals and Amanda Anisimova within the fourth spherical.
“I’m undoubtedly a special individual and a special participant and I’ve extra expertise enjoying the final levels of the Grand Slams,” Sabalenka mentioned, reflecting on the previous 13 months. “There have been some powerful moments once I misplaced the US Open last. That loss actually motivated me to work even tougher.”
And that, she mentioned, gave her extra confidence in her recreation and extra confidence.
“The primary one is all the time particular as a result of I really feel prefer it’s extra emotional,” she mentioned. “It is such a reduction for the second time.”
Solely two issues slowed Sabalenka’s progress to her second Grand Slam singles title on Saturday.
Within the third recreation of the second set, wherein Zheng was serving, the match was stopped after an activist began shouting. The match continued after the person was escorted out by safety.
When she subsequent served for the match, Sabalenka had three championship factors at 40-0, however missed two with unforced forehand errors and one other with Zheng’s intelligent drop shot.
After giving Zheng a breakpoint alternative, she bounced the ball behind her in disgust. However she regained her composure and gained the subsequent three factors.
Sabalenka is the primary lady since Victoria Azarenka in 2012 and ’13 to win consecutive Australian Open titles, and the fifth since 2000 to win the championship right here with out dropping a set – a gaggle that additionally consists of Serena Williams.
She thanked her assist group for holding her on observe and ensuring she loved the second. Sabalenka made a behavior of hitting and autographing the bald head of her health coach, Jason Stacy, earlier than each match in Australia.
After the ultimate, Stacy, carrying a shirt with the message “Simplicity is the important thing to genius” printed on the again, held the trophy on the sector as Sabalenka huddled together with her group throughout a victory celebration.
Ten years after Li Na lifted the Australian Open trophy, Zheng made her greatest run but in 9 majors. She mentioned in the course of the match that she felt effectively supported in Melbourne due to the massive Chinese language neighborhood. And that occurred earlier than the ultimate, the place the flags had been waving and she or he had the viewers behind her.
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However for the primary time on this match she performed in opposition to an opponent ranked within the high 50.
It was the second time in as many majors that their paths met within the second week; Sabalenka defeated Zheng within the quarterfinals of the US Open final yr.
Zheng’s try on the last was two rounds higher than her earlier file to the quarterfinals in New York final September.
She was the primary participant in 4 many years to undergo six rounds with out enjoying anybody within the high 50 – and was solely the third within the Open period to achieve a serious last with out dealing with a seeded participant.
The step up in opposition to quantity 2 within the rankings Sabalenka proved to be an excessive amount of.
“I did not do my greatest. That is actually a disgrace for me as a result of I actually wish to present higher than that,” Zheng mentioned. “I feel I can study extra from immediately’s loss. After which subsequent time I hope to return again as a greater tennis participant and are available again, sure, stronger.”