Unstoppable force: Rybakina navigates late tension to secure place in second Melbourne final
Elena Rybakina defeated Jessica Pegula 6-3, 7-6 on Thursday to reach her second Australian Open final vs. Aryna Sabalenka.
Elena Rybakina, Australian Open 2026
Elena Rybakina defeated Jessica Pegula 6-3, 7-6 to confirm her status as the most clinical performer in the bottom half of the draw. By securing her place in Saturday’s final, the Kazakh star has now reached three Grand Slam finals, marking her return to the championship match in Melbourne for the first time since 2023.
Rybakina’s path to the final has been historically efficient; she has won all 12 sets she has played, making this the first time in the Open Era that two women have reached an Australian Open semifinal – and subsequently a final – without dropping a single set in the preceding rounds.
Ice Queen Navigates a Second-Set Storm
The match began with Rybakina establishing her signature authority from the baseline. Utilizing her “destructive” serve – clocking speeds over 190 km/h – she neutralized the consistent, flat hitting of the 31-year-old American to claim the opening set 6-3.
However, as the second set progressed toward a conclusion, the “Ice Queen” briefly thawed. Rybakina admitted to feeling the pressure of the moment, getting nervous while trying to close out the match and ultimately being forced to save two set points to prevent a decider.
Despite the late-set wobbles, Rybakina’s mental resilience shone through in the tiebreaker. Having seen three match points saved by Pegula earlier in the set, the world No. 5 steeled herself to produce a “majestic” backhand return winner that signaled the end of Pegula’s spirited resistance. The American failed to score the two set points she had.
This victory marks Rybakina’s 33rd career win over a top 10 opponent and her ninth straight win against the elite tier, a run that includes recent triumphs over both Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka.
A Collision of Hard-Court Giants
With this result, the stage is officially set for a high-octane rematch of the 2023 final. Rybakina will face world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who earlier dispatched Elina Svitolina in similarly dominant fashion. Since the end of 2025, Rybakina has been in frightening form, winning 19 of her last 20 matches, including a title run at the WTA Finals.
The upcoming final represents more than just a trophy for Rybakina; it is an opportunity to reclaim the title she narrowly missed three years ago. For Jessica Pegula, the loss ends her deepest-ever run in Melbourne, but the American leaves having proven she can outlast most of the field with her metronomic consistency. However, on this night, the “nuclear” power of Rybakina was simply too much to contain.
