In the opening set of Aryna Sabalenka’s quarter-final with Donna Vekic at the Australian Open, she was struggling. Sabalenka tried to hold off her challenger, but every service game was a desperate battle. She faced 10 break points in four consecutive games, and could have cracked.
Yet every time Sabalenka was pressured she remained calm as she stepped up to the baseline and produced an enormous serve or explosive forehand. Sabalenka survived the set, and never looked back.
For so much of her career, Sabalenka has been known for her volatility, both in terms of her emotions and playing style, but her first grand slam final has been a product of restraint and patience. Even though she can overpower any player, the 24-year-old has come to understand that recklessly attacking every ball is not conducive to consistent excellence. She has learned how to work for the win.
“Before I was trying to go for aces, go for crazy shots to get easily out, to get out easily from that situations,” she said. “Right now I keep saying, like, ‘No, work for it. It’s not going to be easy. You have your shots, you have your serve’. Just work for it and go for bigger targets. That’s just a different approach.”
Not every attacking player can fully grasp how to pair their power with greater margin for error, but throughout this tournament, along with the dramatic transformation of her serve after spending much of last year constantly double faulting, it has been remarkable to see how Sabalenka has fully committed to playing more sustainable tennis.
There are times when players in top form meet too early in a grand slam and other events can look lopsided by the end, but as Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina face off in their first Melbourne final there is no doubt these are the two best players of the tournament.
In Rybakina’s case, her low ranking owing to the lack of points during her Wimbledon title run meant the 22nd seed has had to navigate a brutal draw, yet she has done so spectacularly. After edging past last year’s finalist Danielle Collins in the third round, the 23-year-old overwhelmed Iga Swiatek, the world No 1, in straight sets before outplaying two other grand slam champions, Jelena Ostapenko and Victoria Azarenka.
Rybakina has played at a spectacular level for much of the tournament, but she has also demonstrated toughness. The dominance of Swiatek has defined women’s tennis over the past year, but a second grand slam title within seven months would position her as a rival.
Sabalenka’s inability to perform at grand slams was once her notorious flaw. After breaking through at the biggest events and reaching three slam semi-finals over the previous two years, this fortnight has marked a step forward. While Sabalenka’s draw has not been as difficult as Rybakina’s – No 10 Belinda Bencic was her only top-20 opponent – her form is undeniable. She has won all 10 matches this year, including her title run in Adelaide, without dropping a single set.
This is an ultimate contest of first-strike tennis between two of the most powerful players in the world. Both would much prefer to compete in the day, where the sunny conditions would imbue their enormous shot making with even more pace, rather than the cool, heavier conditions made even slower by the fluffy balls. The winner will not only be decided by who can handle the immense pressure of a grand-slam final, but who can adjust to the conditions and continue to soar.
