SABALENKA WINS BRISBANE INTERNATIONAL FOR SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR
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By: Balogun Ibrahim
Aryna Sabalenka, ranked world No. 1, secured back-to-back Brisbane International victories on Sunday, signaling strong form ahead of the Australian Open.
Sabalenka secured a commanding 6-4, 6-3 victory over Marta Kostyuk in just 78 minutes.
“Every day you go out there and prove your level, and I think this week I did it really well,” Sabalenka said, reflecting on a tournament where she captured the title without dropping a set.
Looking ahead to the Australian Open, which begins next Sunday, she added: “The only thing I know is that I’ll be there, I’ll be fighting.”
Sabalenka was the Australian Open champion in 2023 and 2024 but lost last year’s Melbourne Park final to Madison Keys.
“I’ll do my best to go as far as possible,” Sabalenka said. “My focus is to perform a little better than last year.”
World No. 26 Marta Kostyuk had produced an impressive week, defeating three top-10 players to reach the final.
However, she struggled to cope with Sabalenka’s power, and her usually reliable serve faltered in the championship match.
Sabalenka, by contrast, was rarely tested on her own serve, facing just three break points throughout the contest.
The 27-year-old Belarusian said she had worked on adding new elements to her game to avoid relying solely on power, a strategy that paid off during the tournament.
“I finally found the touch game,” she said.
“I made some adjustments and changed my game style — I’m not just an aggressive player anymore. I can play at the net, defend, use my slice, and have a good touch,” Sabalenka said. “I’m really happy to see it all coming together.”
Tensions between the two players have been evident in the past. Like many Ukrainian athletes, Marta Kostyuk refuses to shake hands with Russian or Belarusian opponents due to the ongoing war in her homeland. There was no handshake at the end of the Brisbane final, and during her trophy presentation speech, Kostyuk highlighted the situation in Ukraine.
“I play every day with a pain in my heart, knowing thousands are without light and warm water,” she said. “It’s minus 20 degrees outside, and living this reality every day is very painful.”
Sabalenka, however, said she was unfazed by Kostyuk’s stance. “It’s their position; what can I do?” she said. “When I step on the court, I focus on my tennis and what I need to do to win. It doesn’t matter if it’s Marta Kostyuk or Jessica Pegula — I have nothing to prove. I go out there and compete as an athlete.”
Kostyuk told reporters she is determined to use her platform to keep attention on Ukraine. “I think it’s important to use my platform in the right way, and my platform is Ukraine, because I represent Ukraine,” she said. “So it’s really important to talk about that.”
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