2026 Australian Open - Women's Discussion

Who will be WTA Singles Champion for the 2026 Australian Open?

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Rybakina would have no chances against this year's version of Sabalenka if she will make as many unforced as she made in her last matches.
 
Rybakina in form can take out Sabalenka, though I’m expecting a nervous final from both. Winner will be the one who holds it together better. I think Sabalenka has the self belief, but I’m not sure about Rybakina.
 
AM75 said:
Rybakina would have no chances against this year's version of Sabalenka if she will make as many unforced as she made in her last matches.
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She just beat two top ten players back to back without topping 20 on either occasion! It's not like they're out of control, and she's been hitting at least marginally more winners.
 
Two Kazakh players in women's finals: Danilina in doubles, Ryba in singles. What a glorious tennis nation!
 
ibbi said:
She just beat two top ten players back to back without topping 20 on either occasion! It's not like they're out of control, and she's been hitting at least marginally more winners.
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Today she made 29, yesterday 19 (but the match was also much quicker).
 
AM75 said:
Today she made 29, yesterday 19 (but the match was also much quicker).
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Oops, I was looking on Pegula's side... Still, as long as there are more winners I don't mind too much. Yes, you need to cut it down against someone like Sabalenka, but she's not faced anyone remotely like Rybakina either. She's been facing children and the chokey pusher. The closest was Potapova, who gave her hell.

I think Elena's first serve percentage will be the thing that really makes or breaks her.
 
wtf? anybody see the AO semi animated version replay on disney+? they have sabalenka's grunt but the animation needs help
 
Sabalenka is an absolute lock until the SF of slams. She’s pretty secure in that SF match too but in the final, I’m almost inclined to favour her opponent.

It’s crazy the amount of slam final chokes she has already. Every single final she’s lost she should have won. None of them were because the opponent played better, just that Aryna played worse.

So Rybakina has a huge chance.
 
ScentOfDefeat said:
I would love for that to happen, but based on the previous final they played here, it's still Sabalenka for me.
Which is unfortunate because I think Rybakina is a better overall player than Gauff, and yet Sabalenka only chokes and gifts Slams against one of them.
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I think Sabalenka is favorite also, but I also think Rybakina is the only real player who can beat her at her own game, like she did in the year ending championships last year.
 
ScentOfDefeat said:
I would love for that to happen, but based on the previous final they played here, it's still Sabalenka for me.
Which is unfortunate because I think Rybakina is a better player than Gauff overall, and yet Sabalenka only chokes and gifts Slams against one of them.
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Because Gauff just puts the ball back in again and again and again and Sabalenka eventually caves in as she can only wallop the ball so many times. Rybakina will not make it that hard on her.

Of course, Sabs also struggled here last year against Madi, who certainly wasn't playing like Gauff, so she can be outplayed on the big stage if you're mentally up to the task on the day.
 
ibbi said:
Because Gauff just puts the ball back in again and again and again and Sabalenka eventually caves in as she can only wallop the ball so many times. Rybakina will not make it that hard on her.

Of course, Sabs also struggled here last year against Madi, who certainly wasn't playing like Gauff, so she can be outplayed on the big stage if you're mentally up to the task on the day.
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Yeah, I just fear Rybakina's mental scar tissue might be more debilitating than Sabalenka's at this point. She really should be a multiple Slam winner by now, but hasn't been able to take that extra step. Hopefully she can change that. A "Covid Slam" that she - admittedly - didn't even feel carried the weight of winning a real major is too little for a player of her calibre, and since 2 Slams is usually the entry level for the Hall of Fame (certainly for quiet, self-effacing Eastern European players), I'm really hoping she can one day get that monkey off her back.
 
Hitman said:
I think Sabalenka is favorite also, but I also think Rybakina is the only real player who can beat her at her own game, like she did in the year ending championships last year.
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YECs are not majors. Between the two, who is the hungry player seeking to grow her majors count?

AM75 said:
Not really, you could see that she was constantly targeting Jovic's backhand and hasn't allowed Jovic play from the good position. She really knew what she was doing.
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Indeed, but the usual suspect Sabalenka haters wish to push the easily debunked narrative that she just hits the ball hard from corner to corner.
 
THUNDERVOLLEY said:
YECs are not majors. Between the two, who is the hungry player seeking to grow her majors count?



Indeed, but the usual suspect Sabalenka haters wish to push the easily debunked narrative that she just hits the ball hard from corner to corner.
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Even I know they aren't, but please don't tell me that Sabalenka wasn't trying that event and didn't want it badly. She was simply outplayed that day.

My point stands, Rybakina is the only player who legit can hit Aryna off the court.
 
Hitman said:
Even I know they aren't, but please don't tell me that Sabalenka wasn't trying that event and didn't want it badly. She was simply outplayed that day.

My point stands, Rybakina is the only player who legit can hit Aryna off the court.
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I will let Vukov know:oops: to continue doing what he is doing to get Elena another GS but she has not been tested much the last few rounds.
 
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Hitman said:
Even I know they aren't, but please don't tell me that Sabalenka wasn't trying that event and didn't want it badly. She was simply outplayed that day.

My point stands, Rybakina is the only player who legit can hit Aryna off the court.
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I think Anisimova can too.
 
Hitman said:
Even I know they aren't, but please don't tell me that Sabalenka wasn't trying that event and didn't want it badly. She was simply outplayed that day.
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Wanting a major is still near-endless psychological levels above any other event, so the motivation to win is obviously stronger.

My point stands, Rybakina is the only player who legit can hit Aryna off the court.
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If "hitting off of the court" is the only strategy against Sabalenka in the AO final, then Rybakina could be seriously underestimating her opponent's skills.

MichaelNadal said:
https://twitter.com/x/status/2016845318286168082
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They're in excellent company, to be sure.
 
rybakina keys anisimova etc can all hit big and win against each other on any given day. It's just that Sabalenka is more consistent at keeping that level especially for two weeks at a GS. Rybakina is hot right now just like anisimova USO25 keys AO25. Hopefully she can keep it up and we actually get a good match in final instead of all these blowouts.
 
Interesting factoid: from the 4th round on, every women's singles match was won in straight sets except one, when Muchova took a set off Gauff. That's 13 out of 14 matches won in straight sets.
 
I know there was a match thread, but can we talk about the infamous hindrance call in here?

I personally loved it. It WAS the right call, and I'm so glad someone is pushing back on Sabalenka's nonsense.

And while I generally like Sabalenka, her attempt to deny that she did anything other than her "usual" grunt was pathetic and disingenuous. The whole stadium heard it. Absolutely a hindrance.

ibbi said:
She just beat two top ten players back to back without topping 20 on either occasion! It's not like they're out of control, and she's been hitting at least marginally more winners.
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Yep, and I would say her sloppy final games of the 2nd set against Pegula were all nerves. She was cruising and was under pressure to finish it off easy.

Against Sabalekna she will be the underdog, so that should free her up a little. I'm just worried that if she does manage to get ahead, she will struggle to close it out.

THUNDERVOLLEY said:
... Indeed, but the usual suspect Sabalenka haters wish to push the easily debunked narrative that she just hits the ball hard from corner to corner.
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How is it easily debunked? If you can't see that that's her only tactic, that's on you. It's clear as day.
 
zvelf said:
Danilina/Krunic impressively bagels #1 Siniakova/Townsend 6-2, 3-6, 6-0 for a big upset.

#5 Dabrowski/Stefani leads #3 Hsieh/Ostapenko 6-1, 5-4 so maybe another upset coming. Strangely, this match is behind ESPN's more expensive "Unlimited" pay wall.
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Guess Danilina/Krunic are showing their run to RG final last year wasn't a fluke. They also beat Sinakova/Townsend at RG.
 
Jennifer Capriati coming up on Tennis Channel...must be doing a celebration of her down there for her wins

is she still insane or has she normalized?....first, and maybe only person, to block me on Twitter because I dared to criticize her politics gone nutty
 
Nice to have Stosur commentate this one. She won this with Zhang who’s out there right now. Crazy that was 7 years ago now. Was a fun one.
 
marc45 said:
Jennifer Capriati coming up on Tennis Channel...must be doing a celebration of her down there for her wins

is she still insane or has she normalized?....first, and maybe only person, to block me on Twitter because I dared to criticize her politics gone nutty
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whoah...her voice sounds very different.
 
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