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Belarusian Sabalenka registered a dominant 6-4, 6-3 triumph over Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk in a match that lasted just under an hour and twenty minutes to hold on to the title.
Aryna Sabalenka. (X)
Aryna Sabalenka secured her second consecutive Brisbane International title on Sunday, defeating Marta Kostyuk in straight sets, an impressive feat as she won the tournament without losing a single set.
Belarusian Sabalenka registered a dominant 6-4, 6-3 triumph over Ukrainian Kostyuk in a match that lasted just under an hour and twenty minutes.
“Every day you go out there and prove your level, and I think this week I did it really well,” Sabalenka commented.
Regarding the upcoming year’s first Grand Slam event in Melbourne, Sabalenka stated, “The only thing I know is that I’ll be there, I’ll be fighting.”
Sabalenka lost in the Melbourne Park final last year to Madison Keys, having been the Australian Open champion in 2023 and 2024.
“I’ll do my best to go as far as possible,” Sabalenka added. “And do a little bit better than last year. That’s my focus.”
Kostyuk, ranked 26th in the world, had a remarkable week, defeating three top 10 players to reach the final. However, she could not cope with Sabalenka’s power, and her usually reliable serve faltered in the final.
Sabalenka faced little trouble on her own serve and only faced three break points. The 27-year-old mentioned that she had incorporated new elements into her game to avoid relying solely on power, which proved successful this week.
“I finally found the touch game. I figured something and I kind of changed my game style — now I’m not only the aggressive player, I can play at the net, I can be in defence, I can use my slice, I have a good touch. I’m super happy to see that things are clicking together.”
There has been tension between the two players in the past, as Kostyuk, like many Ukrainian players, refuses to shake hands with Russian or Belarusian players due to the war in Ukraine.
There was no handshake at the end of the Brisbane final, and during her speech at the trophy presentation, Kostyuk addressed the situation in Ukraine.
“I play every day with a pain in my heart and there are thousands of people who are without light and warm water right now,” she said. “It’s minus 20 degrees outside and it’s very painful to live this reality every day.”
Sabalenka mentioned she was not bothered by Kostyuk’s stance towards her amid the ongoing conflict between Russia, Belarus and Ukraine.
“It’s their position, what can I do? When I go out there, I think about my tennis and the things I have to do to get the win. It doesn’t matter if it’s Marta Kostyuk or Jessica Pegula there. I have nothing to prove. I go there and I just compete as an athlete.”
Kostyuk emphasised the importance of keeping attention on the situation in Ukraine.
“I think it’s important for me to use my platform in the right way, and my platform is Ukraine, because I represent Ukraine. So I think it’s really important to talk about that,” she said.
January 11, 2026, 3:50 PM IST
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