The Times of India in Melbourne: Aryna Sabalenka is a towering personality with a ginormous game.
The Belarusian’s USP is her ability to play high-voltage tennis at all times -- when ahead, trailing or even when struggling to get on the scoreboard. Sabalenka goes with instinct most times, but her game isn’t without tactics. The forehand crosscourt, used to draw opponents wide, has given an edge to her returns, and has been perfected over the last 12 months. Not enough is said about the Belarusian’s footwork, almost flawless, getting her into position to play her shots every time.
The 26-year-old’s play is so big, American Madison Keys will look to top that in the Australian Open final on Saturday, where Sabalenka will be going for a three-peat.
The top-seed and defending champion thought it was just ‘crazy’ that she had put herself in a position to win three successive Australian Open titles and fix her name alongside legends of the sport, including Swiss Martina Hingis, who is the last woman to achieve that feat - 1997 to 1999.
It’s no surprise that Sabalenka, the Minsk-born, Miami resident, called Australia and Melbourne Park in particular, ‘home’.
“I feel good here, I feel the support, this year even more. I feel like I'm coming to my home slam,” the world No.1 said. “I know everything, I know every area, I know where to warm up so it's not that crowded. I go (out) there and I feel people screaming my name, they support me. I have goosebumps every time they scream, ‘Let's go, Aryna’.”
Keys, 29, seeded 19, playing her first final at Melbourne Park, and her second Grand Slam career final, applauded Sabalenka’s mentality.
“She plays such fearless tennis, I think it's very unique,” Keys said. “A lot of people, if it was a tight point, you expect them to play a bit more conservative or back down a little bit, but you know she's not going to do that. It is not only impressive on her side it (also) puts pressure on her opponents -- you know you're always going to have to try to win the point because she's never going to just play passive and give you an easy point.”
So supreme is Sabalenka in playing big that in her nine-hours and 12-minutes on court, in her run into the final, she has 132 unforced errors, while Keys who has two-hours and six-minutes more of court time has 202 unforced errors.
Keys’ 193 kmph serve, which she clocked in the first round against Ann Li, is the second fastest in the women’s draw here, and her 28 aces also puts the American in second position, behind compatriot Coco Gauff in both columns. Keys’ average speed on her first serve is 170 kmph for the tournament, higher than Sabalenka’s 161. The Belarusian’s average speed on her second serve, however, is 134.2, higher than Keys’ 124.3.
The 29-year-old, whose second serve has greater purchase, enjoys a better ratio of breakpoints saved, having saved 26 of 44 (59 percent), while Sabalenka is 18 of 34 (53 percent).
Keys said Sabalenka was a reference point for her, given their similar styles of play.
“The one thing I really wanted to try to be better at was not playing more passive in big points and trying to emulate the way she trusts her game and the way she goes after it,” the American underlined. “If you're able to do that and you miss and you lose, it's on your terms, it's a little bit easier to swallow.”
The theme of the first Grand Slam final of 2025 is bigger and freer tennis. Watch out for the winners.
Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
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