Aryna Sabalenka wins Australian Open 2023: Decoding her achievements
What's the story
Fifth-seeded Aryna Sabalenka bested Elena Rybakina to win the women's singles title at the Australian Open 2023.
The Belarusian staged a comeback to beat her rival 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. Notably, she claimed her maiden Grand Slam honor.
24-year-old Sabalenka is now a 12-time WTA singles titlist, having won her second title in 2023.
We look at her career achievements.
Set
Sabalenka finally loses a set
Before this match, Sabalenka had won a career-best 20 consecutive sets on the WTA Tour. She had won each of her last 10 matches in straight sets.
As per Opta, Sabalenka became the third woman in this century to win her first 10 matches without dropping a set after Anna Smashnova in 2002 and Agnieszka Radwanska in 2013.
Titles
12th WTA singles honor
Sabalenka is now a 12-time WTA singles titlist (2023 - Adelaide 1, Australian Open; 2021 - Abu Dhabi, Madrid; 2020 - Doha, Ostrava, Linz; 2019 - Shenzhen, Wuhan, Zhuhai; 2018 - New Haven, Wuhan.
She has been a runner-up on eight occasions (2022 - Stuttgart, 's-Hertogenbosch, WTA Finals Fort Worth; 2021 - Stuttgart; 2019 - San Jose; 2018 - Lugano, Eastbourne; 2017 - Tianjin).
Grand Slams
Sabalenka's record across Grand Slams
Sabalenka now has a 15-5 win-loss record at the Australian Open.
She has a 7-5 tally at the French Open. She is yet to reach the fourth round.
She has a 6-4 record at Wimbledon, with a semi-final run in 2021.
Sabalenka owns a 15-5 record at the US Open, having been a semi-finalist twice.
Overall, her record reads 43-19 across Slams.
Comeback
Maiden Grand Slam win post a comeback
As per Opta, Sabalenka became the fifth female player in the Open Era to win her maiden Grand Slam final after a comeback.
She joins Nancy Richey, Jelena Ostapenko, Sofia Kenin, and Rybakina on the list.
With 15 main draw match wins at the Australian Open, Sabalenka has equaled her win record at the US Open in a single tournament.
Records
Records galore for Sabalenka
As per Opta, Sabalenka is the 29th different women's player in the Open Era to secure the title at the Australian Open.
As per WTA, she is the 58th different woman in the Open Era to win a Grand Slam title. The last to do it was Rybakina at the 2022 Wimbledon.
Feats
Distinguishable feats for Sabalenka
As per Opta, only Serena Williams in 2015 against Maria Sharapova (18) has made more aces than Sabalenka versus Rybakina in 2023 (17) in the last 20 women's singles finals at the Australian Open.
Interestingly, Sabalenka has won the title in three of the four tournaments in which she has faced Rybakina (Wuhan 2019, Abu Dhabi 2021, and the Australian Open 2023).