Aryna Sabalenka got a tricky start to her 2026 Australian Open campaign. The two-time AO champion entered Melbourne in fine form after lifting the Brisbane International trophy. But her opening match against Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah was no cakewalk for the World No. 1. Being the aggressive shot-maker she is, the Belarusian found herself in an unexpected moment on Rod Laver Arena.

On Sunday, Sabalenka took control early, winning the first set 6-4 against the French qualifier. But in the heat of the second set, things took a turn. During a return, she drove the ball straight across and accidentally hit Rajaonah, who was positioned close to the net. The incident didn’t rattle the qualifier, who kept her composure and fought on bravely.

However, it was clear that Aryna Sabalenka took full control during the match, using her power to move the qualifier around the court. She fired 23 winners in total, forcing her opponent into repeated errors. Her serve also made the difference, averaging 167 km/h to Rajaonah’s 149. On return, the top seed’s dominance showed as she captured 42% of points on the Frenchwoman’s first serve and an impressive 64% on the second.

In the end, Sabalenka wrapped up the win 6-4, 6-1, unleashing her trademark power to dominate the rallies. Rajaonah struggled to keep pace, often sending her returns into the net or sailing them long.

This is a developing story…