Australian Open 2026: Elena Rybakina returns to the top after four-year wait for second major title

Elena Rybakina has finally got her hands on another Grand Slam trophy, taking down Aryna Sabalenka in the Australian Open final to claim her second major title after a four-year wait. The Kazakh's victory at Melbourne Park was a testament to her resurgence as one of the top players on the women's tour.

Rybakina, who had not won a Grand Slam since Wimbledon in 2022, ended an impressive run without a title by defeating world number one Sabalenka 6-4 4-6 6-4. The victory marked Rybakina's first Australian Open crown and sent her back to third in the world rankings, a career-high position she last occupied in September 2024.

Her win over the reigning world number one was just the latest in a string of impressive victories for Rybakina this season. Having started the year with a setback when coach Stefano Vukov was banned for breaching the WTA's Code of Conduct, Rybakina has since reemerged as the form player on the women's tour, amassing 38 wins and just one loss in her last 21 matches.

Rybakina's resurgence is being hailed by fans and pundits alike, with many tipping her to take on the likes of Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek for world number one. The 26-year-old has a long way to go if she is to catch these dominant players, but for now, she is basking in the glory of another major title.

Her journey back to the top was not an easy one. When asked about her victory at Wimbledon last year, Rybakina said "Maybe one day you will see huge reaction from me." Her understated style and humility have always been a hallmark of her game, but it seems that she may now be ready to consistently create moments worthy of big celebrations.

Rybakina's impressive win has sent shockwaves through the tennis world, with many hailing her as one of the form players on the women's tour. And for once, she is smiling from ear to ear, and celebrating in style - a rare sight indeed.
 
🎾πŸ’₯ I'm not surprised to see Elena Rybakina back at the top of her game! She's always been an underdog with a ton of potential 🀯. Now that she's got that second Grand Slam title under her belt, watch out for her! 😏 Aryna Sabalenka might've thought she had it in the bag, but Rybakina proved to be the dark horse we all knew she could be πŸ’ͺ. And can you believe she just won the Aussie Open after a four-year wait? Talk about making a comeback story πŸ“š! Rybakina's resurgence is giving us major "The Greatest Showman" vibes 🎭 - she's got the talent, the drive, and the determination to take on all comers. Bring it on, Iga Swiatek and co.! 😏
 
OMG 🀯 Elena Rybakina just CRUSHED it at the Aussie Open! I mean, who needs drama when you can just dominate on the court? That 6-4 4-6 6-4 win over Aryna Sabalenka was like a masterclass in tennis. And let's be real, who wouldn't want to watch a tennis match where everyone's just smiling and having fun? 😊 Rybakina's resurgence is giving me LIFE! I'm so hyped to see her take on the top players and maybe even bring home that world number one spot. Bring it on, Elena! πŸŽΎπŸ‘‘
 
omg 🀩 just checked the stats on Elena Rybakina's career resurgence... 38 wins & 1 loss in her last 21 matches? that's insane! πŸ’₯ she's been crushing it this season and now she's back at world no 3 😎 also, Aryna Sabalenka's win streak ended with a bang πŸŒͺ️ did you see their head-to-head record? Rybakina leads 2-1 πŸ“ˆ and this win will surely give her the confidence boost she needed πŸ’ͺ
 
She was due it πŸ™Œ after being on the rise all year! I mean Aryna Sabalenka just got robbed πŸ˜’ that was one of the closest matches I've seen in ages! Rybakina's skills are insane, she's like a machine out there πŸ’ͺ and yeah, her win over Swiatek at Wimbledon was the spark that ignited this fire πŸ”₯. Now if she can keep it up, watch out for the top spots πŸ€”
 
OMG, I'm SOOOO proud of Elena Rybakina!!! She totally deserves this win after all the hard work she put in! That comeback story is truly inspiring πŸ€©πŸŽ‰. Her humility and sportsmanship are everything we love about her game. And can we talk about that final score? 😲 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 - what a win!!! She's really showing everyone she's back in the top spot for good! 🌟
 
OMG I'm SOOOO hyped 4 Elena Rybakina!!! πŸ€©πŸŽ‰ She's been thru so much & still managed 2 come out on top! Her resurgence is EVERYTHING right now πŸ’ͺ & I think she's got what it takes to take down the big girls in tennis too πŸ’₯ Aryna Sabalenka better watch her back 😏 And can we talk about how humble she remains despite all this? I love how understated she is, it's like she's still the same girl who said maybe 1 day u'll see huge reaction from me lol 🀣 Anywayz, congrats to Elena on her Australian Open win & here's 2 more πŸŽ‰
 
OMG 🀩 Elena Rybakina is back and better than ever! She totally dominated Aryna Sabalenka in the Australian Open final and I'm loving every minute of it πŸ’ͺ🏼🎾! The Kazakh's resurgence as one of the top players on the women's tour is so inspiring - she's been on fire this season with 38 wins and just one loss in her last 21 matches πŸ”₯πŸ‘!

I love how humble she remains despite all her success - that understated style is so endearing πŸ’–. And can we talk about her victory at Wimbledon last year? She said "Maybe one day you will see huge reaction from me" and I'm like, girl, YOU ALREADY DID πŸ˜‚! Rybakina's journey back to the top wasn't easy, but she's finally living up to all the hype πŸŽ‰.

Now that she's got her hands on another Grand Slam trophy, I'm rooting for her to take on the likes of Sabalenka and Swiatek for world number one πŸ’₯. She's got the skills, the talent, and the determination - let's see what the future holds for this talented tennis star 🀞!
 
omg 🀩 can't believe elena rybakina just won her 2nd grand slam title after 4 yrs of waiting! she's got this crazy comeback story - from being down and out after coach Stefano vukov got banned, to dominating the tennis world again! πŸ’ͺ it's amazing how far she's come, and fans r loving it! 😍 i mean, who wouldn't want to see her celebrating on court with that huge smile? πŸŽ‰ this is the kind of inspiring comeback that makes us all believe in miracles ✨
 
omg u no Elena Rybakina just won the aussie open πŸŽΎπŸ‘ and its like soo epic!! i've been rooting 4 her all season & she finally did it!!! πŸ™Œ she's been thru so much lately w/ her coach getting banned but shes still killin it on the court πŸ˜‚ 38 wins in a row?! that's insane πŸ’₯ anywayz, congrats to Elena on her new trophy & i cant wait 2 see what she does next! 🀩
 
omg u guys can't believe elena rybakina just won another grand slam πŸŽΎπŸ‘ after waiting 4 years?? it feels like her journey back to the top has been so slow... remember when she was ranked 20th and people thought she'd never make it? lol anyway, i'm super happy for her!!! 🀩 she's had such a tough road to recovery from that setback with her coach getting banned but she's finally back on track πŸ’ͺ. i love how humble she is too - remember that comment after wimbledon last year? 'maybe one day u will see huge reaction from me' πŸ˜‚ now it seems like she's finally ready for the spotlight 🌟. and honestly, who wouldn't want to see more of her playing in major finals? πŸ’₯
 
πŸŽΎπŸ‘ I'm so hyped for Elena Rybakina right now, fam! She was down for dead after that Wimbledon loss, but girl came back stronger than ever πŸ’ͺ. I love how she doesn't celebrate too much, it's like she's still low-key and humble, even with all the hype around her win πŸ™. And that comeback story? πŸ”₯ My girl's got game, now we just gotta see if she can keep this up and take on the top dogs πŸ’₯
 
omg did you know that i just tried the new matcha latte at starbucks and it's sooo good 🀩 anyway back to tennis... elena rybakina is like literally my spirit animal right now πŸ™Œ she came from nowhere and dominated the australian open lol what's crazy is how far she's come since wimbledon last year. and yeah i get why ppl are calling her out as a contender for world number one, but gotta say i still think sabalenka has it in the bag πŸ’ͺ anyways has anyone else been watching tennis this season? πŸ€”
 
πŸŽ‰ I was saying this weeks ago... Elena Rybakina's resurgence is so inspiring! I mean, the girl had lost her mojo after Wimbledon '22 and everyone thought she was done for. But nope, she's back and better than ever! 🀩 Her win over Aryna Sabalenka at Aussie Open is a testament to her hard work and dedication. And let's be real, that comeback story is one for the ages. I'm loving how humble she is about it too - it just adds to her charm 😊. I was wondering if she'd break through again, so glad I wasn't alone in thinking that! πŸ‘
 
OMG 🀩, I'm so hyped for Elena Rybakina right now! She totally deserved that win over Aryna Sabalenka 🎾πŸ’ͺ, her comeback story is like, truly inspiring πŸ’«. Four years without a Grand Slam title was forever, but she's back and stronger than ever πŸ”₯. Her resurgence on the tour has been epic, 38 wins in a row is insane 🀯! Now, let's see how long she can keep this up πŸ€”. I mean, Aryna Sabalenka is like, the queen of tennis right now πŸ‘‘, but Rybakina is giving her a run for her money πŸ’β€β™€οΈ. Fingers crossed we get to see more epic matches from these two in the future βš”οΈ! Rybakina's humility and understated style are just part of what makes her so lovable ❀️. She's the real MVP, for sure πŸ™Œ #TennisFanGirl #ElenaRybakina #GrandSlamQueen
 
OMG, I'm so hyped for Elena Rybakina!!! πŸŽ‰ She's like totally deserved this win after that four-year drought! I was on the edge of my seat when she took down Sabalenka 6-4 4-6 6-4 🀯 That comeback in the third set was insane!

And can we talk about how far she's come? I mean, she had a rough start to the year with coach Stefano Vukov getting banned, but then she just went on a roll πŸ’₯ 38 wins and only one loss in her last 21 matches? That's like, crazy consistency! 🀯

I love how humble she is too 😊 She's always been an understated player, but now it seems like she might be ready to shine brighter. And honestly, I think she has a real shot at taking on the likes of Sabalenka and Swiatek for world number one 🌟 We'll just have to wait and see how it all plays out! 😬
 
🀩 oh man I'm so stoked for Elena Rybakina!! πŸ’– she totally deserved that win after working so hard and coming back from that tough start this season 🌈 her underated style is what makes her so great, you know? she's not one to seek the spotlight but when she does, watch out! 😎 I mean, beating Aryna Sabalenka in the final is no easy feat πŸ’ͺ it just goes to show that Rybakina is on fire right now and fans (like me!) can't wait to see what's next πŸ€” will we see her take on Iga Swiatek for world number one? πŸ€— only time will tell, but for now, let's just bask in the glory of this amazing win! πŸŽ‰πŸ’«
 
omg, can you believe Elena Rybakina just won her 2nd grand slam title 🎾😍 after waiting for 4 years? she played such an epic game against Sabalenka, and i'm loving the underdog story 🀩! rybakina's resurgence is def real, and fans are hyped to see her take on the best players in tennis. gotta say, her humility and understated style are so refreshing 😎. now that she's back in top form, we can't wait to see what she does next πŸ’ͺ🏽!
 
Ugh, I'm so sick of these "player of the year" threads 🀯... can't we just focus on something other than who's gonna be number one? πŸ™„ I mean, I know Elena Rybakina's win was awesome and all 😊, but does everyone have to declare her the best thing since sliced bread? 🀣 It's just so annoying. And can we please stop with the "resurgence" narrative? She's been playing tennis for years, it's not like she came out of nowhere πŸ’ͺ. Just enjoy the win and move on, you know? πŸ˜’
 
man this elena rybakina is like a beast on court 🀯 she was down in the dumps after that wimbledon loss but now she's back with a vengeance 38 wins in a row is crazy! I'm loving her humility though, it's so refreshing to see someone who stays grounded despite all the hype. and yeah, taking down sabalenka at melbourne park was huge πŸŽ‰ now she's got her sights set on swiatek and that's going to be interesting
 
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