Aryna Sabalenka, the world number one, secured a commanding victory over Marta Kostyuk to win her third Brisbane International title, reaffirming her status as a top contender ahead of the Australian Open.

The 27-year-old Belarusian, competing in her fourth consecutive Brisbane final, produced an impressive performance to defeat Ukraine’s Kostyuk 6-4 6-3 in just 79 minutes at the Queensland Tennis Centre. Sabalenka previously lifted the trophy in 2023 and 2025, making her dominance at the tournament undeniable.

Sabalenka’s Road to Victory

After a tight opening set that saw the score tied at 4-4, Sabalenka turned the match decisively in her favor, winning five consecutive games to take the first set. She then broke Kostyuk’s serve early in the second set and maintained her lead to claim the title without dropping a set throughout the tournament.

“Every day you go out there and prove your level, and I think this week I did it really well,” said Sabalenka.

Looking ahead to the Australian Open, starting on 18 January at Melbourne Park, Sabalenka remained focused:

“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.”

Sabalenka lost last year’s Australian Open final to Madison Keys but won the title in both 2023 and 2024, making her a serious contender for another Grand Slam crown this season.

Kostyuk’s Brave Effort

Despite her defeat, 16th seed Marta Kostyuk earned praise for her resilience. She briefly cancelled out an early break in the first set and showed composure under pressure, though she struggled against Sabalenka’s relentless power from the baseline. Kostyuk has yet to win a set against Sabalenka in their four previous encounters.

In an emotional moment after the match, Kostyuk spoke to the Brisbane crowd about the ongoing hardships faced by her family in Ukraine:

“I play every day with a pain in my heart. There are thousands of people without light and warm water right now. It’s minus 20 degrees outside, so it’s very, very painful to live this reality every day.”

Sabalenka’s WTA Achievements

The victory in Brisbane marks Sabalenka’s 22nd WTA singles title and her first since winning her fourth Grand Slam at the US Open in September 2025. Her consistency and aggressive style make her one of the favorites for the upcoming Australian Open, where she will aim for her third title in four years.

Men’s and Wheelchair Results

In the men’s final, Russian top seed Daniil Medvedev defeated American Brandon Nakashima 6-2 7-6 (7-1) to claim his 22nd ATP title, achieved across 22 different tournaments. Medvedev, who has finished runner-up at the Australian Open three times (2021, 2022, 2024), ended an 882-day title drought in October with a win at the Almaty Open.

In wheelchair tennis, Great Britain’s Alfie Hewett defeated Spain’s Martin de la Puente 6-1 6-3 in the men’s wheelchair singles final. However, British duo Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool fell 6-3 3-6 10-8 to Francisco Cabral (Portugal) and Lucas Miedler (Austria) in the men’s doubles final.

Looking Ahead

Sabalenka’s Brisbane triumph gives her a perfect platform heading into Melbourne, where she will aim to build on her previous Australian Open performances. With the world number one in top form and Kostyuk showing flashes of brilliance despite the loss, fans can expect an exciting start to the 2026 tennis season.