Aryna Sabalenka thrashes Zheng Qinwen to retain Australian Open title
From the very start of her time in Melbourne two weeks ago, Aryna Sabalenka has been locked in and ready for anything. Not only has her shot-making been utterly devastating, but she has shown significant emotional maturity by shrugging off the pressure of defending her first grand slam following an incredible 12 months, always remaining focused on the very next point.
It has been clear throughout the tournament that no player has come close to Sabalenka’s level, but she still had to hold her nerve under the heightened pressure of a major final. She closed her title defence with relentless efficiency on Saturday, brutally overpowering Zheng Qinwen 6-3, 6-2 to win her second grand slam title at the Australian Open.
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After an incredible breakout year that saw her finally rise to the summit of professional tennis, there will be no sophomore slump. Sabalenka is the second woman in the Open Era to win her first two grand slam titles at the Australian Open, following in the footsteps of Victoria Azarenka, her compatriot, in 2012 and 2013. This time, she has torn through the draw without dropping a set.
Most importantly, Sabalenka has further underlined her intentions and ability to continue making deep runs and winning big titles. The 25-year-old may bludgeon every last ball, playing such a high risk, attacking style, but it is incredible how consistent she has become across all surfaces and conditions. In her last six grand slam tournaments, Sabalenka has now finished with two titles, a final and three other semi-finals.
For all of Sabalenka’s deep grand slam runs last year, though, far too many of her great performances ended with a mental collapse. The ease with which she dealt with the pressure in Melbourne, particularly after upsets to many of her biggest rivals, may well set the tone for the rest of the year.
The final was also briefly interrupted by protesters expressing support for Palestinian people. At 6-3 2-0 to Sabalenka, two protesters unfurled a Palestine flag and chanted “Free Gaza” before they were escorted out of the arena by security. It was the third protest to have briefly paused a match in Melbourne this year.
The Australian Open frequently styles itself as the Asia-Pacific grand slam tournament, and the early stages of the encounter underlined why. Zheng clearly had the audience behind her and large groups of Chinese fans across Rod Laver Arena made their presence felt from the beginning with loud cries of “Jiayou”, which is similar to “C’mon”.
However, from the beginning there was very little to cheer about. Sabalenka burst into the match fully focused and ready. She set the tone by serving brilliantly in the opening game and then pulverising Zheng’s second serve, breaking immediately to establish a 3-0 lead.
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As the first set unfolded, Sabalenka’s unwavering power, depth and precision simply rushed and overwhelmed Zheng, who prefers to have more time to set up her strokes. While the Chinese player served well to keep hold of her serve throughout the set, Sabalenka was never troubled on her own.
Having occupied the half of the draw that saw the top seeds decimated, Zheng had reached her first grand slam final without defeating a single player in the world’s top 70. She was simply a much better tennis player than any other opponent and she primarily had to manage the pressure and her emotions. Nothing prepared her for the pressure that Sabalenka imposed on her and the feeling of being overpowered, of scrambling and being on the back foot in rallies within the first two shots.
Despite how well she had served in the second half of the set, the pressure on Zheng’s shoulders was reflected in how she double-faulted three times in the opening game of the second set to meekly hand over the break. From there, Sabalenka opened up her shoulders and relaxed even more as, one brutal, bludgeoned groundstroke at a time, she continued to establish herself as one of the best of her era.