Elena Rybakina topples world No.1 Aryna Sablenka to win her first Melbourne Park crown on Rod Laver Arena

“Last time I was close, but Aryna played really well that match,” Rybakina said.

“She went for her shots. She was serving really well, and I think she was even risking a little bit because the second serve was going almost as [fast as her] first.

“I knew that today, if I get a chance to lead, … I will need to also try kind of some risky shots and just go for it, not definitely wait for any mistakes or even get to the long rallies.

“It’s amazing to hold this trophy this time.”

The lightly framed yet powerful right-hander has the hottest form in women’s tennis, winning the most matches on the WTA tour since Wimbledon.

Immediately after the gritty three-set victory, she had warm thanks for her team.

“We had a lot of things going on [lately], and I’m really glad that we achieved this result. And thank you to all of you,” she said on court.

“Hopefully, we can keep on going strong this year.”

Saturday night’s final was a titanic battle with huge momentum swings. That it went to three sets and was decided after two hours and 18 minutes made the contest worthy of the occasion.

Not only did Rybakina defeat three top-10 foes – Wimbledon champion and world No.2 Iga Swiatek, American Jessica Pegula, and Sabalenka – at the business end of the Open to complete a memorable fortnight, she carried red-hot form from last November’s WTA Finals triumph in Riyadh, when she beat Sabalenka in straight sets.

Opponents came and went at Melbourne Park and not even her 7-5, 6-1 destruction of Swiatek in the quarter-finals appeared to create any hype or genuine discussion that she was the player to beat this January.

The 2022 Wimbledon champion has won 20 of her past 21 WTA level matches. Rybakina’s only blemish came in the Brisbane International quarter-finals when she crashed out to dangerous Czech player Karolina Muchova in three sets.

Rybakina’s victory is an eye-catching challenge to the status quo at the top of women’s tennis, given she draws level with world No.3 Coco Gauff with two major victories. After winning the WTA Finals last November, Rybakina is poised to strike further.

This was a well-earned title. Her giant-killing run means she becomes the first player since Naomi Osaka in 2019 to claim the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup by outlasting three top 10 players – and, in her case, the world’s top two.

At 0-2 in the first set after Rybakina consolidated a super-early break of serve with a ruthless service game, it was clear that Sabalenka was feeling the pressure generated by the reality of reaching a fourth straight Australian Open final and Saturday night’s opportunity coming 12 months after she slipped up against American Madison Keys.

For two years in a row, Sabalenka has come to Melbourne carrying high expectations and, significantly, the top seeding, and twice the Belarusian has fallen at the final hurdle and on the biggest stage.

She was unsure if she would carry regrets from her latest missed opportunity.

“Maybe I should have tried to be more aggressive on my serve [in the final set], knowing that I have a break and put pressure on her, but she played incredible,” Sabalenka said.

“She made some winners. I made couple of unforced errors.

“Of course, I have regrets. You know, when you lead 3-0, and then it felt like in few seconds it was 3-4, and I was down with a break – so it was very fast.

“[It was] great tennis from her. Maybe not so smart for me.

“Today I’m a loser, maybe tomorrow I’m a winner, maybe again a loser. Hopefully not. Let’s see.”

With close to four years between major triumphs, Rybakina said this title, achieved on a hardcourt and not grass, came with “different feelings”.

“Wimbledon was my first experience getting that far in the tournament, and I won straight away,” she said.

“I remember I was not sleeping well [ahead of the] semis, even quarters… Yeah, it was really stressful, I will say, Wimbledon [was].

“[But] I was managing to sleep well here, and that’s a good thing.”