Aryna Sabalenka beats Paula Badosa to reach her 3rd straight Australian Open final

Aryna Sabalenka has punched her ticket to the final of the Australian Open for the third time in a row. With a decisive victory over Paula Badosa, Sabalenka has now set her sights on history, aiming to become the first female player in 26 years to win three successive Australian Open titles.

The reigning champion got the better of Spain’s Badosa in a competitive semi-final clash at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne. The knockout game lasted nearly one hour, with Sabalenka winning in straight sets with a scoreline of 6-4, 6-2.

The world number one will face either Iga Swiatek or Madison Keys in the final, scheduled for Sunday, January 25.


Sabalenka put up a dominant performance throughout the semi-final. She won a total of 68 points while registering 32 winners. Badosa, however, outplayed her in terms of aces. The Spanish star scored four while her opponent succeeded two times.

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Sabalenka capitalised on four of her nine break points and eight of her 10 net points. She had a winning percentage of 69 across the two sets. But Badosa had fewer unforced errors (15) than the top seed (21).

Sabalenka advanced to the quarter-finals of this year’s Australian Open without losing a set. She, however, struggled much to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the first knockout game. While Sabalenka won the first set 6-2, the Russian star replicated the result in the next one. Sabalenka sealed the deal with a 6-3 win in the decider.

Sabalenka at Australian Open

The Belarusian has always been exceptional at the hard-court major. Overcoming Badosa, the 26-year-old marked her 20th consecutive victory at the Australian Open. She secured the last title without losing any set. Sabalenka defeated 12th seed Zheng Qinwen in the 2024 final. The three-time Grand Slam winner has a 28-5 win-loss record in this competition.

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Sabalenka eyes historic feat

In the final, Sabalenka will attempt to emulate Martina Hingis’ three consecutive title wins from 1997 to 1999. If Sabalenka can get past the last hurdle, she will become the first player in the 21st century to bag three consecutive Australian Open titles. Apart from Hingis, four other women – Margaret Court, Evonne Goolagong, Steffi Graf and Monica Seles – own the monumental record.

FAQs:

Who will face Aryna Sabelenka in the women’s singles final of the 2025 Australian Open?
The winner of the second semi-final between Iga Swiatek and Madison Keys will meet Sabalenka in the summit clash.

Which was Aryna Sabalenka’s first Grand Slam?
Sabalenka won the women’s doubles title at the 2019 US Open.