Australian Open 2026: Elena Rybakina returns to the top after four-year wait for second major title

Elena Rybakina Seals Second Grand Slam Title in Dominant Fashion, Sets Her Sights on Wimbledon.

Elena Rybakina finally broke her four-year wait for a second major title, claiming the Australian Open with a dominant display against Aryna Sabalenka. In a battle that lasted over three hours, Rybakina reeled off a six-four, four-six, six-four victory to claim her first Melbourne trophy and move back into contention for the world number one ranking.

Rybakina, who won Wimbledon in 2022, had been struggling with inconsistency since then, but she appears to have finally found her form. Her win over Sabalenka marked a significant milestone in her career, as it proved that she can consistently compete against the best players on tour.

The Kazakh's victory took her back into third place in the world rankings, a position she last occupied in September 2024. With this win, Rybakina has won her past ten matches against fellow top-10 players, an impressive feat that highlights her growing dominance on the court.

Rybakina's coach Stefano Vukov had been banned for breaching the WTA's Code of Conduct earlier in the season, but it appears to have not affected his team's strategy. Rybakina has reemerged as the form player on the women's tour, amassing 38 wins since the end of Wimbledon last year and losing just once in her past 21 matches.

Former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash believes that Rybakina is an obvious candidate for a second Grand Slam title this year, saying "Could she grab two Grand Slams in a year? Yes - and that will certainly edge her more towards the number one ranking in the world."

Rybakina's victory over Sabalenka was marked by her consistent and precise play, with Cash praising her ability to "when she is hot, she is just about unstoppable." The Kazakh's return to form has been fueled by a renewed focus on her training regimen, with Vukov and his team working tirelessly to help her regain her footing.

As Rybakina sets her sights on Wimbledon, many are eager to see if she can continue her winning ways on grass courts. With this win under her belt, the Kazakh is now more determined than ever to make a deep run at the tournament.
 
🏸 I'm lovin' how the article is structured, btw! It's like they're buildin' up Rybakina's story step by step - first, she breaks her four-year wait for a major title, then she beats a top-10 player, and now she's on her sights on Wimbledon πŸ†. And I love how they're highlightin' her consistency and precision play πŸ“Š. The fact that she's won 38 matches since the end of Wimbledon last year is impressive! It shows she's been workin' hard with her coach Vukov 🀝. Now, if you ask me, Rybakina's got a real shot at grabbin' another Grand Slam title this year πŸ€‘ - and it'll be amazin' to see her dominate on grass courts like she did at Wimbledon last year ⚽️. Bring on the Wimbledon final! πŸ’ͺ
 
I'm low-key rooting for Elena Rybakina to win Wimbledon 🀞🏼, and I think she's got a legit shot! 🌟 Her consistency and precision are on point right now, and it's clear that her coach Stefano Vukov is doing something right πŸ’‘. She's got 38 wins since last year and only lost once in her last 21 matches - that's some serious momentum! ⏩ I'm excited to see how she'll do on the grass courts this time around, but one thing's for sure: Elena Rybakina is a force to be reckoned with on the tennis court πŸ’ͺ.
 
OMG, I'm so stoked for Elena Rybakina!! 🀩 She's been through some struggles but it's clear she's found her groove again πŸ’ͺ And that win over Sabalenka was epic! 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 - talk about mental toughness πŸ˜…. With this momentum, I'm guessing she'll be a total dark horse at Wimbledon πŸŒƒ Could she grab two Grand Slams in a year? Fingers crossed for her πŸ’• The coaching staff must be doing something right with Stefano Vukov's ban seeming to have minimal impact on Rybakina's game πŸ‘. This win is huge for women's tennis, showcasing Rybakina's dominance and growing competitiveness πŸ’ͺ
 
πŸ€” So I was watching the Australian Open and I'm like, Elena Rybakina's back πŸ”₯! She's been struggling for a while, but it looks like she's found her groove again. Six hours of tennis is insane, but she just dominated Aryna Sabalenka 🎾πŸ’ͺ. Now that she's won 10 matches against top players, I think she's got a real shot at grabbing another Grand Slam title this year πŸ’₯.

But you know what's interesting? Her coach was banned earlier in the season and some people thought it would affect her game 😬. But Rybakina is like, "nah, I'm good" πŸ™…β€β™€οΈ. She just won again and again with consistent play. And now she's looking to take on Wimbledon... will we see another title from her? 🀞

I think what makes her so strong right now is that she's working hard in training πŸ’ͺ. Stefano Vukov and his team must be doing something right 😊. Rybakina's return to form has got everyone excited, including former champ Pat Cash πŸ™Œ.

So yeah, I'm loving this Rybakina vibe πŸ”₯! Who else thinks she's got a good shot at Wimbledon? πŸ€”
 
Ugh, I'm so over the repetitive WTA tour updates πŸ™„. Can't we get some more variety in our news feed? It's always "Player X wins Player Y match" and "Coach Z gets banned". Like, what's new? And can we please get some more detailed analysis on Rybakina's strategy vs Sabalenka? Was it the coaching changes that sparked her form or was it something else entirely? Also, who is Pat Cash to be giving expert opinions anyway? πŸ€·β€β™‚οΈ Not saying he's wrong, but I need to see more context on this guy. Anyway, Rybakina's win is cool and all, but can we move on from the same old "dominant display" and "back in contention for number one ranking" clichΓ©s? πŸ™ƒ
 
I'm like totally torn about Elena Rybakina's chances at Wimbledon πŸ€”. I mean, she's been on fire lately, but at the same time, Aryna Sabalenka gave her a run for her money and could've taken the match in three sets 😬. Plus, Rybakina's form can be kinda hit-or-miss, you know? One week she's dominating, the next she's struggling to win a set πŸ€·β€β™€οΈ. And don't even get me started on the grass courts - it's like a whole different game up there 🌿. I mean, some players love it, but Rybakina seems to be struggling with her precision and control... or is that just because she needs to work on it? πŸ€”πŸ‘€
 
🏸πŸ’ͺ Elena Rybakina finally back in form after that weird patch πŸ€”πŸ‘€ her racket skills are insane right now 🎾 I was saying on Reddit last week, she's gonna take down all the top players this year πŸ’₯ and I'm not just talking about Wimbledon, she can dominate anywhere 🌟 WTA rankings will definitely see a shift with this win πŸ“ˆ
 
omg 🀩 I'm so hyped for Elena Rybakina right now!!! she's literally unstoppable on court πŸ”₯! 38 wins in a row? that's insane!!! 🀯 her coach Stefano Vukov must be doing something right because his team is firing on all cylinders πŸ’ͺ. and i love how Pat Cash believes she can grab two Grand Slams this year 🀝, that's some serious ambition!!! 🌟 Rybakina's got the skills, the talent, and now the confidence to take on the best of the best πŸ’β€β™€οΈ. we're gonna see her at Wimbledon for sure and it's gonna be a wild ride πŸŽ‰!
 
πŸ€” Elena Rybakina's comeback kid story πŸŽ‰ is finally here, and it's about bloody time πŸ˜‚. Four years of struggling with consistency? Yeah, that's just a fancy way of saying she'd been stuck in a rut πŸ’¨. But hey, who needs consistency when you've got raw talent and a decent coach πŸ‘Š? Stefano Vukov's ban didn't seem to phase him either πŸ€·β€β™€οΈ.

Rybakina's resurgence is all about her renewed focus on training, but let's be real, it's also about having that elusive second Grand Slam title πŸ†. And if she can pull off two in a row, watch out world, she's gonna be the one to beat πŸ”₯...or at least, that's what Pat Cash is saying πŸ‘. Can she do it? Only time will tell ⏰.
 
🌟 Elena's win over Sabalenka is like a shining light in the darkness - it shows us that sometimes we need to face our struggles and come out stronger on the other side πŸ’ͺ. Rybakina's consistency is key, just like how life requires us to stay focused and committed to our goals πŸ“ˆ. And isn't it beautiful when someone finds their form again? It reminds us that it's never too late to make a change or try something new 🌱. The question remains, though - can we sustain this momentum and keep pushing ourselves forward? That's where the real growth happens πŸš€.
 
omg i'm so hyped for elena rybakina 🀩! two grand slams in one year would be insane, and she's definitely got the skills to pull it off πŸ’ͺ. her form has been looking super solid lately, and that win over aryyna sabalenka was a major milestone for her career πŸŽ‰. now i'm even more stoked to see how she'll do at wimbledon - fingers crossed she brings home another title! πŸ™
 
πŸ™Œ OMG, Elena Rybakina just got back into form and it's SO exciting! I mean, that six-four win over Sabalenka was insane 😲. She finally broke that four-year drought for a major title and now she's on fire πŸ”₯. 10 wins in a row against top-10 players? That's mental 🀯. Cash is right, if she can grab another Grand Slam this year, she'll be unstoppable πŸ’ͺ. The grass courts at Wimbledon are calling her name 🌿 and I'm all for it! Rybakina's comeback story is everything and more ❀️. Can't wait to see what's next for this talented player 🎾πŸ’₯
 
OMG, have you guys tried that new plant-based milkshake place downtown? 🍹 I went there last weekend and it was LIFE.CHANGING! The strawberry one with coconut milk is literally my new favorite thing. And can we talk about how cute the straw is? 😍 Anyway, back to Elena Rybakina... I love how she's finding her form again after that slump. It's like she's rediscovering herself on court 🌈πŸ’ͺ
 
omg u guys i am SO hyped for elena rybakina!! 🀩 she just smashed it in australia and now she's gunning for wimbledon 🌟 her coach steefo vukov must be super proud too πŸ’ͺ anyway i think pat cash is totally on point saying she's the obvious candidate for another grand slam title this year πŸ”₯ can u imagine her grabbing 2 slams in one yr tho?? 😲 that would be epic!!
 
OMG, Elena Rybakina is like the ultimate tennis superwoman! 🌟 She's finally back in the zone and dominating on court! Her coach Stefano Vukov might've been in trouble with the WTA but it looks like his strategies are working like a charm! 😎 With her win against Sabalenka, she's proof that you can't keep a good player down... unless you're a grass court champion at Wimbledon and then they're toast πŸ˜‚. I mean who wouldn't want to see Rybakina in action this summer? She's got the skills, she's got the form, and she's got the hunger for more! 🀩 Now let's get ready for some tennis magic, folks!
 
omg elena rybakina is back and better than ever 🀩🎾! i'm so proud of her for finally breaking that 4-year title drought πŸ’ͺ she's been working so hard with her coach stefano vukov and it's paid off big time πŸ™Œ her consistent play against aryna sabalenka was insane 😲 can't wait to see what the rest of the season holds for her! 🀞
 
πŸ€” I'm not surprised Rybakina's back in form... like how you know when a pizza's done right? πŸ˜‚ You can smell it from afar. Anyway, this win over Sabalenka was dominant, no question about it. But what I think is crazy is that Rybakina's only been losing once in 21 matches and she's still getting roasted for her coach being banned πŸ€·β€β™€οΈ but at the end of the day, results speak louder than scandals. Now, can she keep this up at Wimbledon? We'll see, but I'm hyped to watch her take on the best of the best! πŸ”₯
 
I gotta say, Elena Rybakina's back in the game! πŸ™Œ She finally broke that four-year wait for another major title and I'm loving it! 🎾 Her win over Sabalenka was super dominating, and I mean, six-four, four-six, six-four is no joke. It's like she's unstoppable when she's on πŸ”₯. And let's be real, her coach Stefano Vukov getting banned for breaching the WTA's Code of Conduct didn't seem to affect their strategy at all πŸ€·β€β™€οΈ. Rybakina's been on a roll, losing only once in 21 matches - that's impressive! 🀯 Now, with Wimbledon on the horizon, I'm rooting for her to make a deep run and grab that second Grand Slam title πŸ”₯πŸŽ‰
 
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