World number one Aryna Sabalenka sent a powerful message ahead of the Australian Open by securing her second consecutive Brisbane International title on Sunday, defeating Marta Kostyuk 6-4, 6-3 in just 78 minutes.
Sabalenka, who won the title without dropping a set, was dominant throughout the week. Reflecting on her performance, the 27-year-old Belarusian said, “Every day you go out there and prove your level, and I think this week I did it really well.”
Looking ahead to the Australian Open, which starts next Sunday, Sabalenka kept her focus simple: “The only thing I know is that I’ll be there, I’ll be fighting.”
Sabalenka is a two-time Australian Open champion, having won in 2023 and 2024, though she fell to Madison Keys in last year’s final. “I’ll do my best to go as far as possible and do a little bit better than last year. That’s my focus,” she added.
Kostyuk, ranked 26th in the world, had a breakthrough week, upsetting three top-10 players en route to the final. However, she struggled to handle Sabalenka’s power and lost her own serve, which had been a weapon throughout the tournament. The Ukrainian failed to break Sabalenka’s serve, which remained rock-solid, with the Belarusian facing only three break points throughout the match.
“I tried to introduce new elements to my game this week,” Sabalenka explained. “I’m not just relying on power anymore. I’ve worked on my touch game, and I can now play at the net, use my slice, and defend well. It’s great to see everything coming together.”
Ukraine spotlight
While Sabalenka’s victory was impressive, the match was also marked by a tense exchange between the two players. Kostyuk, like many Ukrainian athletes, refuses to shake hands with Russians or Belarusians due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. As expected, there was no handshake after the final, and Kostyuk used her speech at the trophy presentation to highlight the ongoing suffering in her home country.
“I play every day with a pain in my heart,” said Kostyuk. “Thousands of people are without light and warm water right now. It’s minus 20 degrees outside, and it’s very painful to live this reality every day.”
Sabalenka responded diplomatically when asked about Kostyuk’s stance, saying, “It’s their position, what can I do? When I go out there, I focus on my tennis. It doesn’t matter if it’s Marta Kostyuk or Jessica Pegula, I just compete as an athlete.”
Kostyuk, for her part, emphasized the importance of raising awareness about the war in Ukraine, saying, “I think it’s important for me to use my platform in the right way, and my platform is Ukraine, because I represent Ukraine. So, I think it’s really important to talk about that.”
AFP
