Elena Rybakina put on a brilliant performance to defeat favourite Aryna Sabalenka 6‑4, 4‑6, 6‑4 and lift her first Australian Open trophy on Saturday.
Back at the venue where she lost the 2023 final, Rybakina claimed her second Grand Slam after Wimbledon 2022, showing she has what it takes to challenge Sabalenka on hardcourts.
List of Australian Open women's singles champions since the event began in 1922 (Australian unless stated):
2026 Elena Rybakina (Kazakhstan) beat Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus) 6-4 4-6 6-4
2025 Madison Keys (U.S.) beat Sabalenka (Belarus) 6-3 2-6 7-5
2024 Sabalenka (Belarus) beat Zheng Qinwen (China) 6-3 6-2
2023 Sabalenka beat Rybakina (Kazakhstan) 4-6 6-3 6-4
2022 Ash Barty beat Danielle Collins (U.S.) 6-3 7-6(2)
2021 Naomi Osaka (Japan) beat Jennifer Brady (U.S.) 6-4 6-3
2020 Sofia Kenin (U.S.) beat Garbine Muguruza (Spain) 4-6 6-2 6-2
2019 Osaka beat Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) 7-6(2) 5-7 6-4
2018 Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) beat Simona Halep (Romania) 7-6(2) 3-6 6-4
2017 Serena Williams (U.S.) beat Venus Williams (U.S.) 6-4 6-4
2016 Angelique Kerber (Germany) beat S. Williams 6-4 3-6 6-4
2015 S. Williams beat Maria Sharapova (Russia) 6-3 7-6(5)
2014 Li Na (China) beat Dominika Cibulkova (Slovakia) 7-6(3) 6-0
2013 Victoria Azarenka (Belarus) beat Li 4-6 6-4 6-3
2012 Azarenka beat Sharapova 6-3 6-0
2011 Kim Clijsters (Belgium) beat Li 3-6 6-3 6-3
2010 S. Williams beat Justine Henin (Belgium) 6-4 3-6 6-2
2009 S. Williams beat Dinara Safina (Russia) 6-0 6-3
2008 Sharapova beat Ana Ivanovic (Serbia) 7-5 6-3
2007 S. Williams beat Sharapova 6-1 6-2
2006 Amelie Mauresmo (France) beat Henin 6-1 2-0 (retired)
2005 S. Williams beat Lindsay Davenport (U.S.) 2-6 6-3 6-0
2004 Henin beat Clijsters 6-3 4-6 6-3
2003 S. Williams beat V. Williams 7-6(4) 3-6 6-4
2002 Jennifer Capriati (U.S.) beat Martina Hingis (Switzerland) 4-6 7-6(7) 6-2
2001 Capriati beat Hingis 6-4 6-3
2000 Davenport beat Hingis 6-1 7-5
1999 Hingis beat Mauresmo 6-2 6-3
1998 Hingis beat Conchita Martinez (Spain) 6-3 6-3
1997 Hingis beat Mary Pierce (France) 6-2 6-2
1996 Monica Seles (U.S.) beat Anke Huber (Germany) 6-4 6-1
1995 Pierce beat Arantxa Sanchez Vicario (Spain) 6-3 6-2
1994 Steffi Graf (Germany) beat Sanchez Vicario 6-0 6-2
1993 Seles (Yugoslavia) beat Graf 4-6 6-3 6-2
1992 Seles beat Mary Joe Fernandez (U.S.) 6-3 6-4
1991 Seles beat Jana Novotna (Czechoslovakia) 5-7 6-3 6-1
1990 Graf beat Fernandez 6-3 6-4
1989 Graf beat Helena Sukova (Czechoslovakia) 6-4 6-4
1988 Graf beat Chris Evert (U.S.) 6-4 6-4
1987 Hana Mandlikova (Czechoslovakia) beat Martina Navratilova (U.S.) 7-5 7-6(1)
1986 no competition
1985 Navratilova beat Evert 6-2 4-6 6-2
1984 Evert beat Sukova 6-7(4) 6-1 6-3
1983 Navratilova beat Kathy Jordan (U.S.) 6-2 7-6(5)
1982 Evert beat Navratilova 6-3 2-6 6-3
1981 Navratilova beat Evert 6-7(4) 6-4 7-5
1980 Mandlikova beat Wendy Turnbull 6-0 7-5
1979 Barbara Jordan (U.S.) beat Sharon Walsh (U.S.) 6-3 6-3
1978 Chris O'Neil beat Betsy Nagelsen 6-3 7-6(3)
1977 (Dec) Evonne Goolagong Cawley beat Helen Gourlay Cawley 6-3 6-0
1977 (Jan) Kerry Melville Reid beat Dianne Fromholtz Balestrat 7-5 6-2
1976 Goolagong Cawley beat Renata Tomanova (Czechoslovakia) 6-2 6-2
1975 Goolagong Cawley beat Navratilova (Czechoslovakia) 6-3 6-2
1974 Goolagong Cawley beat Evert 7-6(5) 4-6 6-0
1973 Margaret Court beat Goolagong Cawley 6-4 7-5
1972 Virginia Wade (Britain) beat Goolagong Cawley 6-4 6-4
1971 Court beat Goolagong Cawley 2-6 7-6(0) 7-5
1970 Court beat Melville Reid 6-1 6-3
1969 Court beat Billie Jean King (U.S.) 6-4 6-1
1968 King beat Court 6-1 6-2
1967 Nancy Richey (U.S.) beat Lesley Turner Bowrey 6-1 6-4
1966 Court beat Richey (walkover)
1965 Court beat Maria Bueno (Brazil) 5-7 6-4 5-2 (retired)
1964 Court beat Turner Bowrey 6-3 6-2
1963 Court beat Jan Lehane O'Neill 6-2 6-2
1962 Court beat Lehane O'Neill 6-0 6-2
1961 Court beat Lehane O'Neill 6-1 6-4
1960 Court beat Lehane O'Neill 7-5 6-2
1959 Mary Carter Reitano beat Renee Schuurman Haygarth (South Africa) 6-2 6-3
1958 Angela Mortimer Barrett (Britain) beat Lorraine Coghlan Robinson 6-2 6-4
1957 Shirley Fry Irvin (U.S.) beat Althea Gibson (U.S.) 6-3 6-4
1956 Carter Reitano beat Thelma Coyne Long (U.S.) 3-6 6-2 9-7
1955 Beryl Penrose Collier beat Coyne Long 6-4 6-3
1954 Coyne Long beat Jenny Staley 6-3 6-4
1953 Maureen Connolly Brinker (U.S.) beat Julia Sampson Hayward (U.S.) 6-3 6-2
1952 Coyne Long beat Helen Angwin 6-2 6-3
1951 Nancye Wynne Bolton beat Coyne Long 6-1 7-5
1950 Louise Brough (U.S.) beat Doris Hart (U.S.) 6-4 3-6 6-4
1949 Hart beat Wynne Bolton 6-4 6-4
1948 Wynne Bolton beat Marie Toomey 6-2 6-1
1947 Wynne Bolton beat Nell Hall Hopman 6-3 6-2
1946 Wynne Bolton beat Joyce Fitch 6-4 6-4
1941-45 No competition
1940 Wynne Bolton beat Coyne Long 5-7 6-4 6-0
1939 Emily Hood Westacott beat Hall Hopman 6-1 6-2
1938 Dorothy Cheney (U.S.) beat Dorothy Stevenson 6-3 6-2
1937 Wynne Bolton beat Hood Westacott 6-3 5-7 6-4
1936 Joan Hartigan beat Wynne Bolton 6-4 6-4
1935 Dorothy Round Little (Britain) beat Nancy Lyle Glover 1-6 6-1 6-3
1934 Hartigan beat Margaret Molesworth 6-1 6-4
1933 Hartigan beat Coral Buttsworth 6-4 6-3
1932 Buttsworth beat Kathleen Le Messurier 9-7 6-4
1931 Buttsworth beat Marjorie Cox Crawford 1-6 6-3 6-4
1930 Daphne Akhurst Cozens beat Sylvia Lance Harper 10-8 2-6 7-5
1929 Akhurst Cozens beat Louise Bickerton 6-1 5-7 6-2
1928 Akhurst Cozens beat Esna Boyd Robertson 7-5 6-2
1927 Boyd Robertson beat Lance Harper 5-7 6-1 6-2
1926 Akhurst Cozens beat Boyd Robertson 6-1 6-3
1925 Akhurst Cozens beat Boyd Robertson 1-6 8-6 6-4
1924 Lance Harper beat Boyd Robertson 6-3 3-6 8-6
1923 Margaret Molesworth beat Boyd Robertson 6-1 7-5
1922 Molesworth beat Boyd Robertson 6-3 10-8
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