Aryna Sabalenka Becomes 1st Woman in A Decade To Repeat As ...

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 27: Aryna Sabalenka plays a forehand during their Women's Singles ... [+] Final match against Qinwen Zheng of China during the 2024 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 27, 2024 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images)

There used to be a time when Aryna Sabalenka would become nervous or tight at critical moments in big matches.

Those days appear to be long gone.

The 25-year-old native of Belarus is now much better at managing her emotions on the big stage and it has paid off. With her dominant 6-3, 6-2 victory over No. 12 Qinwen Zheng of China, No. 2 Sabalenka became the first woman in a decade to win back-to-back Australian Open championships. Her countryman Victoria Azarenka was the last to do it (2012-13). She also became the fifth woman to win the Australian Open without dropping a set.

“It’s been an amazing couple of weeks and I couldn’t imagine myself lifting this trophy one more time,” she said on ourt. “It’s unbelievable feeling right now and I’m really speechless.”

It was Sabalenka’s third straight hardcourt Grand Slam final, including a loss to Coco Gauff in the U.S. Open final, which she avenged with a semifinal win over the American in Melbourne.

Sabalenka will take home more than $2 million U.S., while Zheng receives more than $1 million.

Sabalenka, who now owns two Grand Slam titles, routed Zheng in their only previous encounter, 6-1, 6-4, in the U.S. Open quarterfinals.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 27: Qinwen Zheng of China plays a forehand during their Women's ... [+] Singles Final match against Aryna Sabalenka during the 2024 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 27, 2024 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Zheng, 21, was the youngest women’s player from China to reach a Grand Slam final. On Monday, she will make her Top 10 debut as only the second Chinese player in either the ATP or WTA rankings history to achieve that feat.

Zheng was also the third woman in the Open Era to reach a Grand Slam final by defeating six unseeded players. This was her first major final.

She was inspired as an 11-year-old by Chinese star Li Na, who won this title in 2014. Li was in Melbourne for the tournament this year, but likes to watch the matches from her hotel room with a couple of beers. They met this week in Melbourne, with Li offering support and telling Zheng to just play her game.

But that was easier said than done.

Sabalenka won eight of the first nine points and earned a quick break for 2-0. Sabalenka attacked Zheng’s forehand with the serve and from the baseline.

“Look how much faster the ball is coming to [Zheng] consistently,’ Mary Joe Fernandez remarked on ESPN as Zheng face a much higher level of competition than in her previous six matches.

Serving at 2-5, 0-40, Zheng saved three break points and won the game with a service winner.

Sabalenka closed out the first set on her serve with a service winner.

In the first game of the second set, Zheng double-faulted twice in a row to get broken and fell behind 0-1.

Sabalenka broke again en route to a 4-1 lead.

Serving at 5-2, she finally closed it out on her fifth match point with a forehand winner into the open court off the serve.

She met Zheng at the net and they embraced.

“I feel right now very complicated because I feel I could do it better,” Zheng said, “but I want to say thank you to my team and also I really enjoy to play in this Australian Open. This was an amazing moment for me and I’m sure there is going to be more and better in the future.”