ELENA RYBAKINA REACHES 2026 AUSTRALIAN OPEN FINAL; FACES ARYNA SABALENKA FOR TITLE
Elena Rybakina defeated Jessica Pegula to reach the 2026 Australian Open final, setting up a high-stakes rematch with Aryna Sabalenka.
Elena Rybakina knows exactly what’s waiting for her: another showdown with Aryna Sabalenka, world number one, and the same opponent who beat her in last year’s Australian Open final. This time, Rybakina’s set on payback.
The Kazakh, seeded fifth, fought hard to book her spot in the final. She took down American sixth seed Jessica Pegula, 6-3, 7-6 (9/7), after 1 hour and 40 minutes of relentless rallies. That win sets up a Saturday clash with Sabalenka, the player who crushed Rybakina’s dreams in Melbourne last year by clawing back from a set down to take the trophy.
“It was a great battle, and in the end, she just played a little better. She deserved that win,” Rybakina said, thinking back on last year’s final. “Now, I want to enjoy the final. Hopefully, I’ll serve better than today—that should help me. I’m just excited to play.”
Neither Rybakina nor Sabalenka has dropped a set at this tournament, though Pegula came close to changing that. Rybakina controlled the first set, but things got tense in the second. Pegula saved three match points on her own serve and even broke Rybakina as she served for the match.
“That was a real battle. The second set was epic. I’m so glad I managed to win it,” Rybakina said. “I’m proud of how I stuck with it, even when things got tight. I fought for every point. There’s a lot to feel good about. Right now, I just need some rest.”
Born in Moscow and now based in Dubai, Rybakina knocked out second seed Iga Swiatek in the quarter-finals. She’s chasing her first Grand Slam since winning Wimbledon in 2022. Lately, she’s been on fire—she beat Sabalenka to win the WTA Finals in Riyadh in November, and she’s won 19 of her last 20 matches.
From the start, Rybakina set the tone. She held serve to love, broke Pegula when the American netted a backhand, and jumped out to a 3-0 lead. Pegula started to find her groove, saving break points and holding on at 2-4, but Rybakina was already in control. She closed out the set in just 32 minutes.
Rybakina has made a habit of finishing matches strong—she’s won her last 22 matches after taking the first set. She grabbed an early lead in the second set, but Pegula, clearly frustrated, managed to break back. Still, Rybakina’s power from the baseline proved too much, and she broke Pegula again right away.
Pegula dug in, saving three match points at 3-5 and pulling off a break as a nervous Rybakina served for the match. The crowd sensed a comeback, and Pegula broke again to force a tiebreak, but Rybakina stayed composed and sealed her spot in a third Grand Slam final.
WHY DID 22 PLAYERS SUDDENLY WITHDRAW FROM THE 2026 ITALIAN OPEN MID-TOURNAMENT?
Discover the full list of injured stars, including Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu, forced out of the 2026 Italian Open.
At the 2026 Italian Open, the number of players who have withdrawn or retired during matches has climbed to 22, spanning both the ATP and WTA competitions.
By midweek, 17 players had already exited the combined ATP/WTA 1000 event in Rome. Since then, an additional three men and two women have followed suit.
Before the draws were even announced on Monday, prominent names like Carlos Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz, Jack Draper, and Marketa Vondrousova had pulled out. On the opening day of the women’s tournament, Tuesday, Marta Kostyuk and Emma Raducanu also withdrew.
Amanda Anisimova, ranked sixth in the WTA, stepped back before her first match on Thursday due to a left wrist injury. Meanwhile, Victoria Mboko, who is ninth in the world, withdrew before playing on Friday because of a gastrointestinal illness.
Valentin Vacherot, the 16th-ranked player on the ATP tour, pulled out shortly before his scheduled second-round match against Marin Cilic on Friday, citing a foot injury.
Tomas Machac, holding the 41st spot in the men's rankings, also withdrew ahead of his second-round encounter with Daniil Medvedev after an impactful win against Stefanos Tsitsipas in round one.
Arthur Fils, ranked 17th, retired during his opening match against Andrea Pellegrino on Saturday, trailing 0-4, due to hip pain.
Here’s a rundown of the withdrawals on the ATP side: Carlos Alcaraz (No. 2) was replaced by Sebastian Ofner; Taylor Fritz (No. 7) by Zachary Svajda; Valentin Vacherot (No. 16) by Martin Landaluce; Arthur Rinderknech (No. 24) by Aleksandar Kovacevic; Holger Rune (No. 40) by Damir Dzumhur; Gabriel Diallo (No. 46) by Alexander Blockx; Jack Draper (No. 50) by Hamad Medjedovic; Raphael Collignon (No. 68) by Alexandre Muller; Reilly Opelka (No. 74) by Aleksandar Vukic; Arthur Cazaux (No. 73) by Mattia Bellucci; Kamil Majchrzak (No. 76) by Roberto Bautista Agut; and Eliot Spizzirri (No. 92) by James Duckworth.
On the WTA side, Amanda Anisimova (No. 6) was replaced by Elena Gabriela Ruse from Romania; Victoria Mboko (No. 9) by Nikola Bartunkova; Marta Kostyuk (No. 15) by Ajla Tomljanovic; Emma Raducanu (No. 30) by Lilli Tagger; Marketa Vondrousova (No. 44) by Solana Sierra; Sonay Kartal (No. 56) by Zeynep Sonmez; Varvara Gracheva (No. 61) by Eva Lys; and Veronika Kudermetova (No. 70) by Petra Marcinko.
THE "REST OVER REPS" PLAN: WHY JANNIK SINNER IS SNUBBING HALLE FOR WIMBLEDON
After 23 consecutive wins, World No. 1 Jannik Sinner adjusts his schedule to target a Career Grand Slam and Wimbledon glory.
Jannik Sinner has already logged a heavy schedule this year, with deep runs in recent Masters 1000 tournaments keeping him on court against top-tier competition regularly. Given this demanding stretch, he’s taken a fresh look at his calendar and decided to skip the Halle Open, carving out a three-week break between Roland Garros and his Wimbledon title defence.
The 2024 Wimbledon champion won’t be heading to Germany for the grass-court event. That’s notable since Sinner claimed that Wimbledon crown in impressive fashion, overcoming two-time winner Carlos Alcaraz to secure his first major title away from hardcourts. That victory was his latest Grand Slam, following Alcaraz’s wins at the previous two majors.
After Roland Garros, where he seeks to complete the career Grand Slam, Sinner plans to recharge rather than pile on more tournaments before Wimbledon. Without Alcaraz in sight, he’s considered a favourite to maintain his remarkable run. His recent haul includes titles at Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo, and, most recently, Madrid. Now, he’s setting his sights on Rome, his home turf, where he’s never clinched a win but is eager to continue an ambitious streak of Masters 1000 victories, aiming for a sixth in a row.
Post-Rome, he’ll take a week off before the French Open begins. In total, Sinner has played 23 matches over the last two months without tasting defeat. If he wants to lift the Rome trophy, he’ll need to notch six more wins, then potentially battle through seven more rounds in Paris. This demanding schedule partly explains his choice to forgo Halle.
As for the 2026 Halle Open, fans might be disappointed not to see the world number one, but the field remains strong. Heading the draw is Alexander Zverev, a local favourite who has yet to claim a grass-court title or even one on home soil. With Sinner out, this could be a prime opportunity for Zverev to break through.
The American players are also well represented. The U.S. hasn’t seen a finalist here since Mardy Fish in 2004, but Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton might be poised to change that, especially Fritz, who has already shown grass prowess with titles in Stuttgart and Eastbourne last year.
Defending champion Alexander Bublik, who ousted Sinner on his way to victory and took down Daniil Medvedev in the final, will be back aiming to repeat. Alongside him, names like Andrey Rublev, Flavio Cobolli, and Frances Tiafoe are also set to compete. The tournament runs from June 15 to 21, promising plenty of exciting tennis.
