Elena Rybakina reflects on reaching the AO 2026 final

Elena Rybakina (world No. 5) defeated Jessica Pegula (No. 6) to advance to the Australian Open final for the second time in her career.

In the post-match interview, the Kazakhstani tennis player thanked her fans and noted that the match was tense.

«It [being in another Australian Open final] means a lot. Thank you so much for coming and watching us play — it was such a battle. It was an epic second set, and I’m really glad I managed to win it. Jessica played so well in the second set. She fought until the end, and I’m just super happy to be in the final,» Rybakina said.

She was pleased with how she performed at the beginning of the match compared to previous rounds of the tournament.

«I was leading and then it got very tight. I still stayed there. I was fighting for each point, and I’m happy the match started really well compared to the previous matches I played. So, overall, there’s a lot of positive to take. I just need some rest,» Rybakina added.

In the final, Kazakhstan’s top-ranked player will face world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, as she did in 2023. Rybakina said she must serve better to win.

«It was a great battle we played, and I think just in the end she played a bit better and she won that match — very deserved. I just want to enjoy the final and hopefully I’m going to serve better than today, and it’s going to help me, and we’ll see. But I’m so excited to play,» she summarized.

The AO 2026 final between Rybakina and Sabalenka is scheduled for Jan. 31.