New Delhi, Jan. 29 -- Elena Rybakina has sealed her spot in the Australian Open 2026 women's final after a hard-fought 6-3, 7-6(7) victory over Jessica Pegula in the semifinals. The Kazakh star steadied herself, firing key aces and winners to close out the match in one hour and 40 minutes. In the final, Rybakina will take on world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in an eagerly awaited rematch of their 2023 Australian Open championship showdown.

Elena Rybakina, seeded fifth, showed resilience in Melbourne, especially during a tense second-set tiebreak that brought back memories of a painful defeat here two years ago.

In her on-court interview, Rybakina opened up about the pressure. "It was really, really stressful," she said. "I had some epic tiebr...