Sabalenka became the first player in history to win a Grand Slam while competing under a neutral flag because all Russian and Belarusian players are compelled to compete without any.
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After overcoming Elena Rybakina in the championship match on Saturday, Aryna Sabalenka executed a masterful comeback to win the Australian Open singles title for the first time. The 24-year-old Belarussian had previously won the US Open championship in 2019 and the Australian Open title in 2021, but both times she shared the victory with Elise Mertens in the doubles division. That was not the only thing that had changed this year, though. Sabalenka became the first player in history to win a Grand Slam while competing under a neutral flag because all Russian and Belarusian players are compelled to compete without any national affiliation due to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Even more intriguing was the scenario for Rybakina, her opponent, who was a Russian native. The current Wimbledon champion, however, made the decision to become a citizen of Kazakhstan back in 2018, which is why she was disqualified from competition as a neutral.
World politics, however, took a backseat on Saturday as the two great women battled it out for the title at the Rod Laver Arena until Sabalenka won the summit match 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. No Belarusian flags were permitted inside the stadium due to a restriction imposed by the international tennis organisations.
“I think everyone still knows that I’m Belarusian player. That’s it,” she told reporters after the match. Since the beginning of the crisis in Ukraine, Sabalenka has endured a difficult road. Her rankings were significantly impacted by the Wimbledon ban on tennis players from Belarus and Russia in 2022. If the decision will still be in effect in 2023 has not yet been made public.
“I mean, missing the Wimbledon was really tough for me. It was a tough moment for me,” she said. “But I mean, I played the U.S. Open after. It’s not about Wimbledon right now. It’s just about the hard work I’ve done,” the freshly crowned Australian Open champion added.
In a dramatic final between two of the most exciting power-hitters in women’s tennis, Aryna Sabalenka beat 22nd seed Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan 4-6 6-3 6-4 to win her first Grand Slam championship at the Australian Open. The Belarusian will return to a career-high position of second behind Iga Swiatek with her 11th straight victory of the year, reaping the benefits of her improved mental stability and service to establish herself as a legitimate danger in major tournaments.
Following Victoria Azarenka, who won the Australian Open twice and was eliminated in the semi-finals, who is now Belarus’ second tennis player to win a Grand Slam, the country’s tennis federation was quick to offer congratulations. Although Sabalenka believed that the people of Belarus would be happy for her, she didn’t have any immediate plans to join them in their celebrations because she planned to return to Miami.
