Monday Feb 23, 2026
Monday Feb 23, 2026
Wednesday, 14 January 2026 03:50 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Aryna Sabalenka
World number one Aryna Sabalenka brushed aside Marta Kostyuk 6-4, 6-3 in the Brisbane International final on Sunday to retain the title without losing a set ahead of her bid to reclaim the Australian Open title this month.
Kostyuk had beaten top 10 players Jessica Pegula, Mirra Andreeva and Amanda Anisimova on her way to the final but was no match for the sheer power of the US Open champion.
Sabalenka is determined to win back the Australian Open title she relinquished last year, and her performance in the fierce Brisbane heat suggests she will be hard to beat at Melbourne Park this month.
“Thank you to my team for handling me. I’m really the toughest one to handle, and you guys are the toughest people in the world if you can handle me,” she told the crowd before directing a comment at partner Georgios Frangulis in the stands.
“Thank you to my boyfriend. Hopefully, soon I’ll call you something else, right? Let’s just put a bit of extra pressure on, right?”
Sabalenka will be gunning for a third Australian Open and fifth major title at the year’s first Grand Slam, which starts on 18 January.
