In Melbourne, on January 29 (NationPress), Elena Rybakina secured her spot in the women's singles final of the Australian Open 2026 with a steady and hard-fought victory against sixth seed Jessica Pegula. She triumphed with a score of 6-3, 7-6(7) during an intense evening at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne Park.

This marks Rybakina's third appearance in a Grand Slam final and her first since 2023. She demonstrated remarkable resilience against Pegula's late challenge, saving two set points in a critical tiebreak of the second set, concluding the match in just over two hours. Rybakina is now set to face World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka for the championship, reigniting their rivalry from the 2023 Australian Open final.

Rybakina started strong, controlling the game with her powerful serve and first-strike ability to claim the first set. While serving at 5-3, she overcame a minor slip with a series of powerful serves, consistently pushing Pegula behind the baseline. Pegula showed resistance by saving one set point with an impressive backhand winner, but Rybakina quickly sealed the first set with a body serve and a precise forehand to win 6-3.

The second set presented a more thrilling battle. Pegula aimed to become the first woman in the Open Era to reach two Grand Slam finals after turning 30 and refused to back down. After falling behind 5-3 and facing three match points on her serve, the 2024 US Open runner-up dug deep, holding serve before breaking Rybakina twice as the Kazakhstani tried to finish the match at 5-4 and 6-5.

This tenacity led to a tiebreak filled with dramatic momentum shifts and long rallies. Pegula took the lead by winning a grueling 19-shot exchange, but Rybakina responded with clutch serves, firing aces at crucial moments. Both players exchanged mini-breaks as the tension escalated.

At 7-7, Rybakina found her moment of triumph. With aggressive returns that pressured Pegula's second serve, she set up match point. She executed a stunning backhand down the line from outside the sideline, sealing the match and igniting a roar from the crowd in Melbourne.

This victory propels Rybakina into her second Australian Open final, where she will once again meet Sabalenka, who triumphed in their previous Melbourne encounter in 2023. Although Sabalenka has a slight edge in their overall head-to-head, Rybakina has shown superior performance in finals, including a straight-sets win at the 2025 WTA Finals in Riyadh.

With her serve firing and nerves holding steady during critical moments, Rybakina is just one win away from her second Grand Slam title, with the opportunity to settle the score on one of tennis's grandest stages.

Rybakina and Sabalenka's upcoming match will mark a rare repeat final at the Australian Open, making them only the fourth pair in this century to meet multiple times in Melbourne. Neither player has dropped a set leading up to the final, a feat last accomplished in 2004 and only the 23rd occurrence in the Open Era.

Rybakina heads into the final in phenomenal form, having won 19 out of her last 20 matches since a defeat to Sabalenka in Wuhan last October, including nine consecutive victories against Top 10 opponents. Additionally, she improved her head-to-head record against Jessica Pegula to 4-3 with this semifinal win.