Brisbane International: Aryna Sabalenka beats Marta Kostyuk to claim third title
“Every day you have to go out and prove your level, and I thought I did a really good job this week,” said Sabalenka, who didn’t drop a set in the match.
Looking ahead to the Australian Open, she said: “The only thing I know is I’m going to be there and I’m going to fight.”
Sarabrenca lost to 2023 and 2024 champion Madison Keys in the Melbourne Park final last year.
“I’ll try to go as far as I can,” she added. “And do a little bit better than last year. That’s my focus.”
Kostyuk, who had lost four times to Sabalenka without a win, stabilized his position after canceling an earlier break, but in the 10th game, his opponent stepped up his efforts to win the first set and lost serve again.
The 16th seed was aiming for her first final in two years and fourth WTA singles title, but her game collapsed under the weight of Sabalenka’s baseline shot.
A break of serve early in the second set was enough for Sabalenka to defeat the world No. 26, and Kostyuk converted her first title shot into the net.
Kostyuk struggled to hold back tears as he told a Brisbane crowd about the situation in Ukraine. Ukrainian officials have been working to repair heating and water systems damaged by Russian bombing.
“I want to say a few words about Ukraine,” she said. “I play with the pain in my heart every day. There are thousands of people now without light and hot water. It’s minus 20 degrees outside, so it’s very, very painful to live in this reality every day.”
“It’s so hot in Brisbane it’s hard to imagine but my sister was sleeping under three layers of blankets because it was so cold at home.”
Sabalenka’s 22nd WTA title is her first since winning her fourth Grand Slam at the U.S. Open in September.
Meanwhile, Britain’s world number two Alfie Hewitt needed just 65 minutes to beat Spain’s second seed Martin de la Puente 6-1 6-3 in the men’s wheelchair singles final.
But British top seeds Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool lost 6-3, 3-6, 10-8 to third seeds Francesco Cabral of Portugal and Austrian Lucas Midler in the men’s doubles final.
