Top trio eye Grand Slam glory with Sabalenka targeting third Australian Open crown
Aryna Sabalenka will aim to take a huge stride towards a third Australian Open title in four years when the Belarusian top seed clashes with Ukraine's Elina Svitolina on Thursday in a semi-final simmering with geopolitical tension.
IMAGES from all the action on Day 8 of the Australian Open in Melbourne on Sunday.
Kyrgios beats Sabalenka in 'Battle of the Sexes' showdown
Kyrgios, the 2018 Brisbane champion, is now ranked 673rd in the world with no protected ranking and will also need a wildcard to compete at Melbourne Park.
Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios defended their controversial "Battle of the Sexes" match and said they failed to understand why an exhibition aimed at showcasing tennis drew so much negativity from the tennis community.
Serena Williams fuels comeback speculation with TV interview
Gauff is a fan favourite in Melbourne
Check out what the players are wearing at this year's Australian Open.
Aryna Sabalenka said the Australian Open should reconsider its policy on banning wrist-worn fitness trackers after several players were told to remove the devices before coming onto court.
World number one Aryna Sabalenka said it would be unfair for women to face "biological men" in professional tennis.
IMAGES from Day 4 of the matches played at the Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Wednesday.
While off-court battles over pay and governance rumbled on, opportunities were scarce beyond the duopoly at the top of the men's game, leaving Djokovic to provide the year's standout moments for the chasing pack.
World number one Aryna Sabalenka overcame Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in a gladiatorial battle between big-hitters on Friday to book a WTA Finals title showdown with Elena Rybakina.
Keys, who captured her first Grand Slam title at the tournament last year, said she was still getting used to the surreal experience of seeing herself immortalised around Melbourne Park.
Earlier, Pegula secured a breezy 6-2, 6-3 victory over the already-eliminated Jasmine Paolini and said she would work out a strategy for her next opponent despite knowing there was a slim chance of an exit if Gauff prevailed in three sets.
Tough road for defending champion Keys
Swiatek rejects 'Battle of the Sexes' and backs mixed team events
The event comes at a time when tennis is facing criticism over its relentless tour schedule.
Iga Swiatek heads into Melbourne Park with the Australian Open title the only gap on her Grand Slam resume, but the world number two is keen to avoid setting herself targets for the new season and says her main goal is to improve her game.
Aryna Sabalenka rose above geopolitical tumult to become the first player to claim a Grand Slam title as a neutral at the Australian Open.
Aryna Sabalenka exemplified consistency in 2025 and arrives for the November 1-8 tournament having retained her US Open title in September, after finishing runner-up to Madison Keys at the Australian Open and Coco Gauff at Roland Garros.
Women's World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka will take on Australian maverick Nick Kyrgios in a 'Battle of the Sexes' exhibition match in Dubai on December 28, organisers announced on Tuesday.
Aryna Sabalenka shocks fans with topless holiday post after Wimbledon heartbreak.
The 2025 US Open women's singles title comes down to Aryna Sabalenka, the world No.1 and defending champion, and Amanda Anisimova
Aryna Sabalenka is the first woman to win back to back US Open singles titles since Serena Williams in 2014.
Both US Open champions share a fun connection off the court: They were born on the same day, May 5.
American Jessica Pegula reached her second straight US Open semifinal with a clinical 6-3, 6-3 win over twice Grand Slam champion Barbora Krejcikova on Tuesday.
Defending champion Coco Gauff put on a clinical performance to beat Jasmine Paolini 6-3, 6-2 and eliminate the Italian as she registered her first win at the WTA Finals on Tuesday.
'I love to be defending champion. For me, it's motivation, you know, and I want to do well.'
The world number closed out the victory despite a few service wobbles late on, improving her win-loss record against Rybakina to 8-5.
French Open champion Coco Gauff defeated Italy's Jasmine Paolini 6-4, 6-3 on Saturday to reach the Wuhan Open final, her third WTA 1000 final of the year.
Elena Rybakina rallied from a set down to beat Russian fourth seed Ekaterina Alexandrova 3-6, 6-0, 6-2 and win the Ningbo Open title on Sunday, as her late surge to reach next month's WTA Finals gained momentum.
She beat Jasmine Paolini in the quarter-finals and then made it back-to-back wins over top 10 players as she also defeated compatriot Coco Gauff by 6-1, 6-2 in the semifinals.
Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka staged a grand fightback to beat Jessica Pegula 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 and enter the women's singles final at the US Open on Thursday.
Elena Rybakina qualified for the WTA Finals' last four, beating an error-prone Iga Swiatek 3-6, 6-1, 6-0 on Monday, while Amanda Anisimova beat fellow American Madison Keys 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 in Riyadh.
French Open champion Coco Gauff captured her third WTA 1000 title and first in Wuhan after rallying from two breaks down in the second set to defeat fellow American Jessica Pegula 6-4, 7-5 in Sunday's final.
World number one Aryna Sabalenka overcame a second-set fightback by fourth seed Coco Gauff to clinch her third Madrid Open.
At an oven-like Centre Court where the temperature climbed to 30 degrees Celsius, Sabalenka twice rushed to the aid of ill fans by supplying bottles of cold water and an ice pack, before she cracked under pressure from her opponent in the 10th game.
Aryna Sabalenka inched closer to becoming the first woman since Serena Williams (2012-14) to win consecutive US Open titles.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances