As Aryna Sabalenka strode down the tunnel inside Rod Laver Arena that leads players straight to the court, the cameras momentarily captured a perfect shot. The pathway to Melbourne Park’s premier court is filled with large, rectangular plaques emblazoned with the names of former champions and the dates of their triumphs.
For a second, Sabalenka stood perfectly next to the sign that memorialised her 2023 and 2024 Australian Open victories. Already focused on new records and objectives, however, she kept on moving.
Over the next fortnight, Sabalenka will attempt to become the first woman in 26 years since Martina Hingis to win three consecutive Australian Open singles titles. She opened up her title defence in Melbourne with an imperious performance, dismantling the former US Open champion Sloane Stephens 6-3, 6-2 to reach the second round.
After a dominant start, Sabalenka was pulled back from 4-0 to 4-3 by Stephens in the opening set. Just as the match could have turned into an extremely tight battle, Sabalenka reasserted her dominance and held on to close out an excellent win.
“I think it’s a big difference, comparing myself to even like three years ago,” she said. “In that moment I would get frustrated and probably would lose the first set. I’m not sure if I would be able to win the match. That’s what I remember. I’m really glad that I improved my mental toughness, let’s say. I’m able to stay focused no matter what the score, what the situation is.”
Sabalenka has now won 28 of her past 29 matches in Australia and she remains the tournament favourite. As the world No 1 tries to manage the pressure that comes with her status, Sabalenka says she is trying not to focus on her end goals.
“I think the biggest lesson I learned last year is just not focusing on, defending titles or having the opportunity to put your name on the history, whatever,” said Sabalenka. “I think the key is just to keep focusing on yourself and trying your best and see what happens after the tournament.”
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While Sabalenka enjoyed an uneventful day due to the excellent Rod Laver Arena roof, the opening day at the 2025 Australian Open was otherwise a chaotic affair that was disrupted by dramatic rain storms for the first seven hours of play. Court space was so limited during the day that Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz were forced to simultaneously train on the same court, the two best men’s players in the world using one half of an indoor court.
After waiting for hours for the rain to dissipate, Great Britain’s Sonay Kartal suffered a disappointing 6-1, 7-6(5) defeat to Jessica Bouzas Maneiro of Spain, who will face Sabalenka in the second round. After years of injury problems, meanwhile, 35-year-old Kei Nishikori produced a vintage comeback performance in his first appearance at the Australian Open since 2021, saving two match points before recovering against Thiago Monteiro to reach the second round with an excellent 4-6, 6-7(4), 7-5, 6-2, 6-3 win.
