Post by : Meena Ariff

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka heads back to the Australian Open with expectations firmly on her shoulders, though her build-up this year feels noticeably different. The Belarusian star remains the leading contender in Melbourne, but for the first time in three seasons, she arrives without a championship to defend and without the aura of recent dominance at the year’s first Grand Slam.

A two-time winner at Melbourne Park, Sabalenka had previously established the tournament as her stronghold, stringing together a remarkable 20-match winning run. That streak was halted in last year’s final when American Madison Keys stunned her, denying Sabalenka a historic third straight Australian Open title — an achievement last seen more than two decades ago with Martina Hingis.

Despite that disappointment, Sabalenka’s position at the summit of women’s tennis remains unchallenged. Her explosive groundstrokes, commanding serve, and growing mental resilience continue to set her apart from the rest of the field. Still, the lack of recent success in Melbourne adds an element of uncertainty and anticipation to her 2026 campaign.

Unlike past editions, Sabalenka enters the tournament without the confidence boost of a dominant winning run on Australian courts. While her early-season performances have been encouraging, they have stopped short of overwhelming, leaving open the question of how quickly she can rediscover her best form.

Even so, pressure has rarely unsettled Sabalenka. As the top seed, she will once again be the player everyone aims to dethrone, with challengers ready to pounce on any hint of weakness. Whether she can regroup mentally and reassert her control on Rod Laver Arena stands as one of the key storylines of this year’s Australian Open.

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