Aryna Sabalenka beats Elena Rybakina in three sets to win

Belarusian fifth seed Aryna Sabalenka won her first Grand Slam singles title by fighting back to beat Elena Rybakina in the Australian Open final.

In an absorbing contest which showcased the power of both players, 24-year-old Sabalenka triumphed 4-6 6-3 6-4.

Instead, it was Sabalenka who put her name on the exclusive list of people to win a major title as she fulfilled her long-seen potential.

Speaking to her team while clutching the trophy, Sabalenka said: “We’ve been through a lot of downs last year

Strong serving has been the bedrock of Rybakina’s success – leading the ace count in the women’s singles and having won 84% of her service games going into the final – and she dropped just six service points in the opening set.

Fighting back from behind was not something Sabalenka had been forced to worry about since arriving in Australia.

But Sabalenka had won all six of the Grand Slam matches last year where she lost the first set and again showed the strength of character – this time in the most pressurised of situations – to fight back on Rod Laver Arena.