Rybakina-Sabalenka, who will be the new queen of the Australian Open?

The fruits of patience.

Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka (number 5), victim of her nerves in the past, has overcome the curse of the Grand Slam semi-finals.

After three unsuccessful attempts (Wimbledon 2021, US Open 2021 and 2022), she dominated the Polish surprise Magda Linette and will live (this Saturday 9:30 a.m. French time) her first major final.

Freed from the weight of the double faults that tortured her, in particular thanks to the work carried out with a biomechanic.

To discover

• Australian Open: ladies schedule and results

• Australian Open: men's schedule and results

She, who had committed 440 doubles during the year 2022, or 8 per match, only deplores 3 on average since the start of the tournament: “

.

Carried by a new energy, she surfs on a dizzying series.

In 2023, she still has not lost a single set in ten games.

Facing her will be the Kazakh Elena Rybakina (number 22) who dismissed the Belarusian Victoria Azarenka and will seek to crown a second Grand Slam crown, after her success at the last Wimbledon tournament (against the Tunisian Ons Jabeur).

Electric arm wrestling

Rybakina, to fight her way to the final, became, at the Australian Open, the first player since Jennifer Capriati (who, in 2001, dismissed Monica Seles, Lindsay Davenport, then Martina Hingis) to beat three former Grand Slam winners (Iga Swiatek in the round of 16, Jelena Ostapenko in the quarters then Victoria Azarenka in the semis).

In the face-to-face between them, Aryna Sabalenka leads 3 wins to 0 (with successes in the 3rd round of Wuhan in 2019, in Abu Dhabi in the quarter-finals in 2021 and in the round of 16 at Wimbledon in 2021).

But it is Elena Rybakina (born in Moscow, naturalized Kazakh in 2018) who will come forward with the experience of a Grand Slam final when the landmarks are a precious safety belt in the face of a suddenly larger field, an attention tenfold which crushes the protagonists.

Elena Rybakina is an incredible player, she plays great tennis, she is very aggressive.

I'm really looking forward to this final

Aryna Sabalenka

Aryna Sabalenka (24) will indeed step into unknown territory (5th player after Gabriela Sabatini, Zina Garrison, Lindsay Davenport and Jennifer Capriati to reach the final after at least three lost Grand Slam semi-finals).

He will have to master the scenario of a final during which it will hit hard, very hard.

Sabalenka (1.82 m) and Rybakina (1.84 m) are athletes.

To play eye to eye, Sabalenka will have to be able to count on her new serve (74% of points scored on her 1st serve, 4 aces on average in Melbourne), against the formidable Rybakina (44 aces in 6 games, leading the tournament standings).

All the ingredients of an electric showdown are there.

Rybakina (23) will make her appearance in the top 10 on Monday. Sabalenka, who will wear number 2, summarizes: “

."

So impatient that on the court, she announced that she was ready to fight on Friday.

He will have to wait until Saturday...

Semi-finals, women's singles: Sabalenka (Blr, 5)-Linette (Pol) 7-6 (7/4), 6-2;

Rybakina (Kaz, 22)-Azarenka (Blr, 24) 7-6 (7/4), 6-3.