Aryna Sabalenka. Mike Frey-Imagn Images

Aryna Sabalenka a win away from Australian Open three-peat

By Sai Mohan | Last updated Jan 23, 2025 8:23 AM ET

There are all but three certainties in life: death, taxes and Aryna Sabalenka dominating her opponents at hard-court majors.

The World No. 1 demolished Paula Badosa in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2, on Thursday to clinch a third consecutive Australian Open finals berth. The Belarusian has won 33 of her last 34 matches at hard-court majors, dating back to her wins at the 2023 Australian Open, 2024 Australian Open and 2024 U.S. Open. Along the way, the only loss she suffered came against Coco Gauff in the final of the 2023 U.S. Open.

Sabalenka on Saturday will attempt to become the first woman since Martina Hingis (1997-99) to win three consecutive Australian Open titles. With her fifth consecutive hard-court major final appearance, she joins an exclusive club of players to achieve the feat in the Open Era.

5 - Aryna Sabalenka is the fifth player in the Open Era to reach 5+ consecutive Women’s Singles Grand Slam hard court finals after Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf, Monica Seles and Martina Hingis. Tigress.#AO2025 | @AustralianOpen @WTA @WTA_insider pic.twitter.com/IlZ7jYpL4a
— OptaAce (@OptaAce) January 23, 2025

Even the great Serena Williams fell short of her mission to three-peat at Melbourne Park when she lost to Angelique Kerber in the finals of the 2016 Australian Open. As such, Sabalenka could firmly establish herself as one of the greatest of all time with a victory on Saturday.

Sabalenka's 20-0 streak at the Australian Open has given her another unique distinction, making her only the third player to win 20 or more consecutive matches at a specific major event.

20 - Aryna Sabalenka is the third player in the last 10 years to win 20+ consecutive matches in a Women's Singles Major after Serena Williams (US Open and Wimbledon) and Iga Swiatek (French Open). Trio.#AO2025 | @AustralianOpen @WTA @WTA_insider pic.twitter.com/U63Dg01fCp
— OptaAce (@OptaAce) January 23, 2025

Sabalenka enters Saturday's final as the overwhelming favorite to join Hingis, Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Steffi Graf and Monica Seles as just the fifth woman to three-peat in Melbourne. Yet, the 26-year-old isn't willing to think that far ahead.

"It's [a] privilege," Sabalenka said of being on the verge of history, via AusOpen.com. "If I'll be able to put my name in the history...it's going to mean the world for me. It's been a dream, I couldn't even dream about that to be honest, at first I was dreaming to win at least one Grand Slam [but] now I have this opportunity, it's incredible and I'm going to go out and leave everything I have [on court] in the final."

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Ready to go for three in a row!@SabalenkaA will seek a hat-trick of #AusOpen titles on Saturday.@wwos • @espn • @eurosport • @wowowtennis • #AO2025 pic.twitter.com/QWIddW6Rje
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 23, 2025

Sai Mohan

A veteran sportswriter based in Portugal, Sai covers the NBA for Yardbarker and a few local news outlets. He had the honor of covering sporting events across four different continents as a newspaper reporter. Some of his all-time favorite athletes include Mike Tyson, Larry Bird, Luís Figo, Ayrton Senna and Steffi Graf.

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