Australian Open live: Aryna Sabalenka v Elena Rybakina latest score updates from blockbuster women’s final – UK Times

The 38-year-old Djokovic stunned defending champion Jannik Sinner in an epic five-set stand to keep his dream of a 25th grand slam alive by returning to the Australian Open final

One way or another, history will be made in the Australian Open final on Sunday as Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz meet with two career-defining achievements on the line.

After one of the most dramatic semi-final days the tournament has seen, Djokovic returned to his 11th Australian Open final by stunning the defending champion Jannik Sinner in five sets to move one one away from the standalone record of 25 grand slam singles titles. Djokovic, at 38, is also bidding to become the oldest Australian Open champion of all time.

At the other end of the scale, world No 1 Alcaraz can become the youngest man of all time to complete the career grand slam, at the age of 22, after reaching his first Australian Open final. The Spaniard triumphed in five hours and 27 minutes to beat Alexander Zverev in five sets on Friday, in the longest semi-final in the tournament’s history.

Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina are the first players to both reach a grand slam final without dropping a set since the 2008 Wimbledon final between Serena Williams and Venus Williams.

By beating Jessica Pegula in the Australian Open semi-finals, Elena Rybakina has now won nine consecutive matches against top-10 opponents, a run that includes her victory over Aryna Sabalenka at the WTA Finals.

Overall, she has won 19 of her last 20 matches and has the most wins on the WTA since the end of Wimbledon last year.

“Of course, the WTA Finals gave a lot of confidence, because you played against top players. I maintained my level. I played tough matches, very close matches. I won all of them,” she said.

“Of course it’s different conditions comparing to the other tournaments, but I think I could take only positive from that week.

“This what I’m trying to do this season, remembering some good stuff from this WTA Final and just bring it to this season.”

“Me and her, we both are different players. We went through different things. We’re much stronger mental and physically, and we’re playing better tennis now.

“So I will approach this as a completely different match, and we have long history after that final. So I’ll approach this match as the very first one, and I will do my very best.

“I think her shots are heavy, deep, flat balls. It’s not easy to work with. But we have a great history. She’s an incredible player. We had a lot of great battles, a lot of finals we played.

“If it’s going to be her, I’m looking forward to battling this power.”

“It was a great battle [three years ago]. I think in the end she played a bit better. Se won that match, very deserved. I just want to enjoy it, that’s for sure, and hopefully I’m gonna serve better than today. I’m so excited to play.”

Three years on, Elena Rybakina is back in the Australian Open final, where she will face the woman who beat her that day in the world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka.

Their three-set battle in 2023 was an instant classic, and changed so much for Sabalenka. That was her first grand slam title, and she returns now as the dominant No 1 and four-time grand slam champion.

Rybakina has not been in a major final since then but she is coming back into her best form. She beat Sabalenka in the WTA Finals in November in a brilliant performance, showing she can beat the No 1.

The Australian Open women’s final will begin from after 8:30am GMT (UK time) on Saturday 31 January. It will follow the women’s and men’s doubles finals on Rod Laver Arena.

The final will be shown live on TNT Sports in the UK as well as online on Discovery+.

In the US, it will be shown live on ESPN and Tennis Channel.

Aryna Sabalenka bids to regain her Australian Open crown as she faces Elena Rybakina in a big-hitting rematch of their dramatic final from three years ago.

The world No 1 was stunned by Madison Keys in last year’s final but is looking to win her third title in four years after reaching another final in Melbourne, having beaten Rybakina to win her first in 2023.

Both have been in dominant form this tournament, and Sabalenka and Rybakina are the first players to advance to a grand slam women’s final without dropping a set since Serena and Venus Williams in 2008.

Fifth seed Rybakina moved into her first grand slam final in three years by continuing her winning streak against top-10 players with wins against Iga Swiatek and Jessica Pegula.

Rybakina may have lost to Sabalenka three years ago, but the 2022 Wimbledon winner claimed a statement win over the world No 1 at the WTA Finals at the end of last season.

Sabalenka will be bidding for her fifth grand slam title overall after continuing her excellent consistency with a seventh hard-court grand slam final in a row.