Belarusian tennis sensation Aruna Sabalenka showcased her prowess on Saturday by securing a resounding victory over China's Qinwen Zheng in straight sets, successfully defending her Australian Open title at Melbourne Park.
The world No. 2 asserted her dominance with a commanding 6-3, 6-2 win against her 12th-ranked adversary, claiming her second Grand Slam title at the iconic Rod Laver Arena.
This triumph secured Sabalenka the prestigious Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup trophy for the second consecutive year.
Sabalenka joins an elite list of legends
At 25 years old, Sabalenka joined an elite group of female athletes, becoming the fifth woman to achieve victory at the Australian Open without dropping a single set.
Her notable predecessors in this accomplishment include Lindsay Davenport, Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams, and Ash Barty.
Notably, Sabalenka carved her name in history as the first WTA player to clinch back-to-back Australian Open titles since Victoria Azarenka's remarkable feat in 2012-2013.
14th title for Sabalenka
This victory marks the 14th tour-level title in Sabalenka's illustrious career, with nine of them earned on outdoor hard courts.
Importantly, it signifies her first triumph since May of the previous year when she successfully defended her Madrid trophy.
With a stellar 2-1 record in major finals, Sabalenka joins the ranks of the illustrious active multiple Grand Slam champions, standing alongside tennis luminaries such as Iga Swiatek, Naomi Osaka, Garbiñe Muguruza, Simona Halep, Petra Kvitova, Victoria Azarenka, Angelique Kerber, Svetlana Kuznetsova, and Venus Williams.
