Given her performance in the opening match, she appears ready to contend for the title once more, and the tennis world will be closely monitoring her progress to see if she can accomplish this rare and historic achievement.
Aryna Sabalenka entered the 2025 Australian Open as the defending
champion, and she kicked off her campaign with an impressive performance,
demonstrating why she’s the World No. 1. After winning her second
consecutive title in Melbourne the previous year, Sabalenka is now aiming to
achieve the rare feat of securing a third straight Australian Open crown—a
remarkable accomplishment that only a few players have managed.
The Belarusian’s path to a potential three-peat got off to a strong start, though
it wasn’t without some challenges. She was drawn to face former US Open
champion Sloane Stephens in the first round, a matchup that promised to test
her early on. Despite some ups and downs in the match, Sabalenka showed she
was ready to defend her title and lived up to her top-seed status with a
dominant performance.
A Powerful Start to the Match.
Sabalenka wasted no time asserting her dominance in the opening game. She
fired off a love hold, showcasing her aggressive style of play with a blistering
serve at 183 km/h (114 mph). This set the tone for the rest of the match, with
the defending champion clearly intent on making a statement early.
Stephens, despite her recent struggles, wasn’t going to back down easily.
However, Sabalenka’s early aggression proved too much for the American to
handle, as she quickly broke in the second game of the match to go up 2-0. The
first few games unfolded rapidly, with Sabalenka dictating the rallies and
making very few mistakes.
Stephens Fights Back, But Sabalenka Maintains Control.
As the match progressed, Stephens began to find her rhythm. After going
down 4-0, the American started to put more pressure on Sabalenka, extending
rallies and forcing the Belarusian to work harder. The momentum shifted
slightly when Stephens broke back to make it 4-1, thanks to some unforced
errors from Sabalenka and a couple of winners from Stephens, including a
stunning 14-shot rally.
However, Sabalenka wasn’t rattled. After a brief dip in form, she regained
control. In the following game, she broke Stephens once more to go up 5-3,
playing smart and aggressive tennis. Stephens had a game point to get the
match to 4-4, but Sabalenka’s skillful rallying forced errors from her opponent,
and the Belarusian seized the break to take the first set 6-3.
Sabalenka Dominates in the Second Set.
The second set began with Stephens winning the opening game, but Sabalenka
quickly reasserted herself. The defending champion broke Stephens in the
second game with a beautiful forehand drop shot that the American couldn’t
chase down. From there, Sabalenka took control of the match, holding serve
with ease and securing another break to lead 5-1.
Despite a brief resistance from Stephens, who managed to win one service
game, Sabalenka was untroubled in closing out the match. She served for the
match at 5-2, and after forcing a few more errors from Stephens, the top seed
sealed the win with a 6-3, 6-2 victory in just over an hour.
Looking Ahead to Round Two.
With this convincing first-round victory, Sabalenka has taken the first step in
her bid for a historic three-peat in Melbourne. In the second round, she will
face Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, who advanced with a 6-1, 7-6(5) win over
Sonay Kartal. Given Sabalenka’s dominant performance, she will likely head
into this matchup as the clear favorite, with her sights firmly set on continuing
her Australian Open reign.
As the tournament progresses, Sabalenka’s pursuit of a third consecutive
Australian Open title is sure to remain one of the most compelling storylines.
With the form she displayed in her opening match, she looks poised to be a
serious contender once again, and the tennis world will be watching closely to
see if she can achieve this rare and historic feat.
