Elena Rybakina surged into her third Grand Slam final, and her first in three years, with a 6-3, 7-6(7) win over Jessica Pegula at the Australian Open. The straight-sets scoreline looked routine after a flawless run to the semifinals. But tension spiked in the second-set tiebreak, where two saved set points drew sharp reactions from Rybakina’s box, revealing how tight the battle truly was.

Speaking in her post-match interview, Elena Rybakina was asked if the second set felt stressful for her team. She answered honestly. “I don’t think it was a little bit for my team. It was really, really stressful.” Her reaction summed up the tension inside the stadium.

Rybakina then explained why the tiebreak carried extra weight. “I had an epic tiebreak here a couple of years ago, and I lost it. I think it was the longest women’s tiebreak played. A little flashback came you know?” she said.

She was referring to her second-round match at the 2024 Australian Open against Anna Blinkova. That contest ended in the longest tiebreak in Grand Slam singles history. Blinkova eventually won 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (22-20).

This time, the outcome was different. Rybakina held her nerve when it mattered most. “But, yeah, Super happy that in the end, it turned my way and looking forward to play on Saturday,” she added.

Elena Rybakina had to survive a fierce late comeback from Jessica Pegula to seal her place in the Australian Open final. Pegula was chasing history, aiming to become the first woman in the Open Era to reach her first two Grand Slam finals after turning 30.

The American showed huge fight in the second set. Pegula saved three match points while serving at 3-5. She then broke Rybakina twice when the Kazakhstani served for the match at 5-4 and again at 6-5.

Despite the pressure, Rybakina stayed composed. She edged a tense tiebreak with clutch tennis. She closed the match by winning the final two points with her sixth ace of the day and her sixth return winner.

Rybakina’s serving was not at its best early. She landed just 48% of her first serves in the opening set. Still, she dropped only six points behind her serve and did not face a single break point.

She took control early by breaking Pegula in the second game. Rybakina protected that lead calmly and cruised through the first set without drama. The same pattern appeared in the second set. Rybakina broke for a 2-1 lead after threading a passing shot and finishing with a return winner.

Pegula briefly fought back by breaking to make it 2-2. Rybakina responded immediately. She broke again and surged ahead to a 5-3 lead. That is when the match truly caught fire. Rybakina failed to convert three match points. She missed one backhand and two forehands, giving Pegula a way back.

Pegula seized the moment with bold tactics. She mixed high balls, slices, and net approaches. Two clean winners helped her level the set at 5-5. Both players traded breaks as nerves set in, but Rybakina’s first-serve percentage continued to dip under pressure.

In the tiebreak, Pegula stayed aggressive. Rybakina saved the first set point with a forehand winner. Pegula missed on the second, and Rybakina slammed the door shut. The win gave Rybakina a 4-3 lead over Pegula in their H2H. 

Now through to the final, Russian-born Kazakh ace has also shared her thoughts about the challenge of facing Aryna Sabalenka next.

Elena Rybakina shares her thoughts on blockbuster final against Aryna Sabalenka

Elena Rybakina will play her second AO final. The 2022 Wimbledon champion now faces Aryna Sabalenka, the same opponent she met in her first Melbourne final. In the 2023 final, Sabalenka won 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 to claim the first of her four Grand Slam titles.

Sabalenka still leads their overall H2H 8-6. She also holds a narrow 5-4 edge on outdoor hard courts.

However, Rybakina has been stronger in the finals. She leads Sabalenka 3-1 in title matches. Their most recent meeting came at the 2025 WTA Finals in Riyadh, where Rybakina won 6-3, 7-6(0).

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Looking back on the 2023 final, Rybakina reflected honestly. “It was a great battle we played,” Rybakina said. “Just in the end, she played a bit better. She won that match, very deserved.”

She also shared her focus for this final. “I want to enjoy the final, and hopefully I’m gonna serve better than today, and that will help me,” she added.

Rybakina and Sabalenka are now the fourth pair to meet in multiple Australian Open finals this century. They follow Capriati–Hingis, Williams–Williams, and Williams–Sharapova. They are also one of only two active pairs to meet in multiple Grand Slam finals. The other pairing is Sabalenka and Coco Gauff.

Neither player has dropped a set during this tournament. They are the first Grand Slam finalists to do so since Serena and Venus Williams at Wimbledon 2008.

They are also the first to achieve this at the Australian Open since Justine Henin and Kim Clijsters in 2004. Overall, they are the 23rd such pair in the Open Era.

Rybakina enters the final in red-hot form. She has won 19 of her last 20 matches since losing to Sabalenka in Wuhan last October.

During that stretch, she won Ningbo, reached the Tokyo semifinals, won the WTA Finals in Riyadh, and regained momentum in Melbourne. She has also beaten nine Top 10 players in a row.

Rybakina is guaranteed to return to No. 3 in the WTA rankings next week, behind Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek, regardless of the result. With the final approaching, who are you backing?