New Champions Down Under
Elena Rybakina and Carlos Alcaraz picked up their first major honours of the year after winning their respective singles titles at the Australian Open.
The Kazakhstani sensation finally won her second Grand Slam title after a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 victory over top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka at the women’s Australian Open final on Saturday, avenging her loss in the championship decider in 2023.
In 2023, she won the first set but lost the final in three. This time, after breaking the powerful Sabalenka in the first game and taking the first set, she rallied after losing the second set and going down 3-0 in the third. She won five straight games and then closed out with an ace on her first championship point. Elena Rybakina has been winning a lot but also making a lot of money lately after pocketing almost $8 million for her last two titles. While Rybakina is certainly thrilled with the money she has earned, the more important thing for her is being back on court and doing the thing she loves best.
On Sunday, Carlos Alcaraz became the youngest man (22) to complete the career Grand Slam of all four major titles with victory against Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open final. It was a clash of generations, as the current GOAT, Djokovic, playing in his eleventh Australian final, had the opportunity to become the greatest ever with regards to accolades, but Alcaraz was superb, to win in four sets, 2-6 6-2 6-3 7-5.
The Djoker will retire sooner than later, but he still feels good and knows exactly how to space his events out, which ones to participate in. However, clinching that one more title will surely be a mountain climb if he is going to come across the likes of Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, or AO champion Alcaraz.
The young World Number 1 has the world at his feet, and if his trajectory remains intact, we could very well be looking at the greatest player to exist. But for now, he remains humble and stated that he has plenty of motivation for the rest of the year – go on to claim the Calendar Grand Slam. Time will tell.
