Aryna Sabalenka claims second straight Brisbane International title with victory against Marta Kostyuk
Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka has secured her second consecutive Brisbane International title, and 22nd overall, with a straight-sets win over Marta Kostyuk on January 11.
New Delhi: World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka defeated Marta Kostyuk 6-4, 6-3 in the final of the Brisbane International on Sunday, January 11. The Belarusian retained the title without losing a set ahead of her bid to reclaim the Australian Open title, which starts on January 18.
Kostyuk had beaten Jessica Pegula, Mirra Andreeva and Amanda Anisimova to qualify for the final, but struggled against the sheer power of the U.S. Open champion. Sabalenka is focused on winning the consecutive Australian Open title, and her performance suggests that she will be hard to beat in Melbourne Park.
Sabalenka started the match well and took a 3-0 lead in the first set, but the Ukrainian made a comeback and levelled the score at 3-3. The Belarusian then reduced the number of wild swings and created pressure on her 26th-ranked opponent with power and accuracy.
She quickly won the first set and gained a 3-0 lead in the second after again taking the Ukrainian's first service game. Kostyuk struggled in the second set and faced a tough test before Sabalenka served out to win her 22nd WTA title.
'I'll do my best to go as far as possible': Sabalenka on Australian Open
After the victory, Sabalenka congratulated Marta and her team for the brilliant start to the season and hoped that they would meet each other again in many finals to play great tennis. The Belarusian also talked about the 2026 Australian Open and said that she'll do her best in the tournament.
"Every day you go out there and prove your level, and I think this week I did it really well. The only thing I know is that I'll be there, I'll be fighting. I'll do my best to go as far as possible. And do a little bit better than last year. That's my focus," said Sabalenka.
Sabalenka will be looking to win the third Australian Open and fifth major title at the first Grand Slam of 2026, which starts on January 18.