Australian Open 2026: Elena Rybakina returns to top after four years of waiting for second Grand Slam title

Nearly four years have passed since Elena Rybakina humbly raised her right arm to celebrate her victory at Wimbledon.

“Maybe one day you’ll see a huge reaction from me,” she told the crowd that day.

But that’s not the low-key 26-year-old’s style.

After winning at the Australian Open and ending his wait for another Grand Slam trophy, the Kazakh just clenched his raised fists and shook his head briefly, with an expression that was a mix of relief and disbelief.

But she’s back to the level that brought her breakout success, suggesting she may now finally be ready to consistently create those moments worth celebrating.

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and No. 2 Iga Swiatek have established themselves as dominant players on the women’s tour in recent years, winning eight of the 13 Grand Slams since Rybakina’s victory at Wimbledon.

But Rybakina showed her potential to close the gap when she beat Sabalenka 6-4 4-6 6-4 in Melbourne on Saturday, beating Swiatek and sixth seed Jessica Pegula on her way to the title.

“I always believed I could get back to where I was [but] We all have our ups and downs,” Rybakina said.

“I thought maybe I would never reach a final again or even win a trophy again.

“But we’ve put in a lot of work as a team and when I’m not as active, they’re there to help.

“When you get big wins against top players, you start to believe more and become more confident.”