Australian Open 2026 women's singles final: Aryna Sabalenka takes on Elena Rybakina - head-to-head record and how to watch live

Melbourne will crown its queen at the Australian Open 2026 final, but will it be Aryna Sabalenka or Elena Rybakina?

The women’s singles championship match has a familiar feel in a rematch of the 2023 edition, with the stakes as high as ever in the season’s first tennis Grand Slam.

Neither woman has dropped a set on their way to the final, where Sabalenka returns for the fourth year running. The world No. 1 can tie Martina Hingis and Martina Navratilova should she clinch her third title in four editions at Melbourne Park.

The undisputed top-ranked female player has maintained her peak performance into the 2026 season, showing no sign of struggle in her semi-final win against Elina Svitolina.

For Rybakina, she aims to follow up her WTA Finals victory against Sabalenka with another statement win on the hard courts. The Kazakhstani will go for her maiden Australian Open and a first Slam title since Wimbledon in 2022.

Her route to the final saw Rybakina come up against Jessica Pegula, coming through a tense tiebreak to continue an inspiring resurgence up the rankings.

Ahead of the women’s singles final, here is what you need to know.

AO 2026: Sabalenka powers into fourth straight final

AO 2026: Rybakina sweeps past Jessica Pegula

Australian Open 2026 – Aryna Sabalenka vs Elena Rybakina head-to-head record

This will be meeting No. 15 between Sabalenka and Rybakina, and it is the world No. 1 with the slight edge in an 8-6 head-to-head record against her final opponent.

The last time they met went the way of Rybakina in Riyadh, where the 26-year-old claimed the WTA Finals trophy after a dominant tiebreak against the tiebreak queen – Sabalenka had won 22 of her 24 tiebreaks across the season.

Their only Melbourne Park match-up also came in the final three years ago, ending in Sabalenka’s first Grand Slam singles title of her career. Then the No. 5 seed, she came from a set down to storm past the reigning Wimbledon champion 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Both women are big hitters who play their best aggressive tennis on the hard courts, a surface where they have met 11 times and Rybakina has the upper hand (6-5).

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