Aryna Sabalenka has once again struggled on the sport’s biggest stage, falling short in Saturday’s Australian Open final against Elena Rybakina. Rybakina came out on top 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 and has been backed to overtake Sabalenka for the top spot in the world rankings this year.

The Athletic ’s tennis team, Matthew Futterman, Charlie Eccleshare and James Hansen, present their takeaways from the first Grand Slam of 2026, from the best shots and funniest moments to the biggest disappointments and the most incredible matches.

The WTA Rankings updated after the 2026 Australian Open and two-time Grand Slam champion Coco Gauff took a major dip.

Elena Rybakina won the second grand slam title of her tennis career by claiming this year’s Australian Open with a thrilling 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 victory over World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the final. With this win,

Carlos Alcaraz made history at the Australian Open on Sunday - after beating Novak Djokovic to become the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam

MELBOURNE, Australia -- The extreme nervous tension. The adrenalin. Elena Rybakina felt it all as she stood at the baseline on match point, relying on one of the best tools at her disposal to clinch the Australian Open title.

Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic are No. 3 and No. 4 in the world. They still feel distant from Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

The trend of the top players steamrolling through their competition extended into the first day of quarterfinal play at the 2026 Australian Open.