World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka has sent a formidable message to the tennis world ahead of the first Grand Slam of the year. In a clinical display of power and precision, the Belarusian successfully defended her Brisbane International title on Sunday, defeating Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk 6-4, 6-3 in just 79 minutes.
Sabalenka’s victory at the Pat Rafter Arena marks her third title in Brisbane and her 22nd career WTA singles trophy. Remarkably, she secured the championship without dropping a single set all week, reinforcing her status as the heavy favorite to reclaim her Australian Open crown in Melbourne later this month.
Marta Kostyuk entered the final in the form of her life, having notched three consecutive Top 10 victories over Amanda Anisimova, Mirra Andreeva, and Jessica Pegula. However, she found no answer to the sheer power of the reigning US Open champion.
The match began with Sabalenka racing to a 3-0 lead. While Kostyuk showed immense fighting spirit to level the set at 3-3 by attacking Sabalenka’s second serve, the World No. 1 responded by elevating her intensity. Sabalenka broke again in the tenth game to take the opener and quickly established another 3-0 lead in the second set. This time, there was no way back for the 23-year-old Ukrainian.
“Every day you go out there and prove your level, and I think this week I did it really well,” Sabalenka said during the trophy ceremony. “The only thing I know is that I’ll be there [in Melbourne], I’ll be fighting.”
With this victory, Sabalenka has further cemented her dominance on Australian soil, winning 38 of her last 40 matches in the country. She now moves into sole possession of the third-most titles among active WTA players.
1. Venus Williams: 49
2. Iga Swiatek: 25
3. Aryna Sabalenka: 22
4. Victoria Azarenka: 21
Sabalenka is also the first woman to win consecutive Brisbane titles since Karolina Pliskova, in 2019 & 2020, joining an elite list that also includes Serena Williams.
The final was played against a backdrop of geopolitical tension. Following her victory, Sabalenka made a pointed gesture, kissing her biceps toward her opponent; a likely response to previous remarks from Kostyuk regarding Sabalenka’s physical power. The post-match presentation remained frosty, with Kostyuk choosing not to mention Sabalenka by name during her speech.
Instead, an emotional Kostyuk spoke of the harsh reality back in her war-torn homeland. "I play every day with a pain in my heart," she said. "There are thousands of people who are without light and warm water right now... it's minus 20 degrees outside."
Sabalenka now heads to the Australian Open, starting January 18, as the top seed. After losing a heart-wrenching final to Madison Keys in 2025, she is determined to add a third Melbourne trophy to her cabinet. For Kostyuk, despite the final loss, her performance guarantees a return to the Top 20 rankings, setting her up for a deep run in the year's first Major.
