The 2026 Australian Open women’s final delivers a blockbuster rematch between two of the most dominant hard-court players in tennis. World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka will face World No. 5 Elena Rybakina for the championship at Australian Open, renewing one of the sport’s most compelling rivalries.
This will be the 15th career meeting between Sabalenka and Rybakina, and their history suggests fans are in for a high-powered, tightly contested final under the lights at Rod Laver Arena.
How to watch Sabalenka vs. Rybakina: Date, time, TV channel
The Australian Open women’s final is scheduled for Saturday, January 31, during the night session in Melbourne.
Match details:
Time: 3:30 a.m. ET (7:30 p.m. local time in Melbourne)
Venue: Rod Laver Arena
TV (U.S.): ESPN
Streaming: ESPN+
International viewers can watch on TSN (Canada), Stan Sport (Australia), TNT Sports (UK), and Eurosport across much of Europe. Coverage is expected to begin shortly before the first serve.
Rivalry, form, and path to the Final
Sabalenka enters the final chasing her third Australian Open title and her fourth appearance in the championship match in as many years. The top seed cruised through the semifinals with a commanding 6-2, 6-3 victory over Elina Svitolina, extending her unbeaten streak at Melbourne Park. Remarkably, she has not dropped a set during the tournament.
Rybakina’s route to the final was far more demanding. The 26-year-old produced back-to-back statement wins over World No. 2 Iga Swiatek and World No. 6 Jessica Pegula, also without losing a set. It marks her first Grand Slam final since 2023, a year that ended with a loss to Sabalenka in this very event.
Historically, Sabalenka holds a slim 8-6 edge in their head-to-head series. However, they have split their last ten meetings, and Rybakina defeated Sabalenka in their most recent clash at the 2025 WTA Finals. Eight of their 14 previous matches have gone the distance, underlining how evenly matched these two remain.
Prediction: Who has the edge in the 2026 Final?
Oddsmakers have installed Sabalenka as the favorite, and the numbers support that position. In 2026, the Belarusian has won an eye-catching 90.7% of her service games, compared to 81.2% for Rybakina. Sabalenka is also outperforming her rival on return, winning 40.9% of return games, a crucial edge on hard courts.
Rybakina has been more clinical on break points, converting 55.0% compared to Sabalenka’s 39.8% – which keeps her firmly in contention. Still, Grand Slam finals often come down to experience, and Sabalenka has proven repeatedly that Melbourne is her domain.
While an over on total games remains appealing given their history, the safer pick is the world No. 1 reclaiming the title she narrowly missed last year.
Pick: Aryna Sabalenka to win the 2026 Australian Open Final
With two elite servers, relentless baseline power, and championship pressure looming, this final promises fireworks and another unforgettable chapter in one of modern tennis’ best rivalries.
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