AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 29, 2026

Aryna Sabalenka

Press Conference

A. SABALENKA/E. Svitolina

6-2, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Aryna, congratulations. You're into your fourth straight Australian Open final. What is it about this tournament and the court that you think brings out your best tennis here?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I don't know. I just love this place. I love this stadium. Every time I'm competing there, I really enjoy my time. I love Melbourne. It seems like everything about Melbourne I love, so I'm really enjoying my time.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Carlos keeps getting asked how does his form compare to his US Open run last year. How does your form at this Australian Open compare to your last three?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I don't like to compare myself to like, I don't know, even yesterday. I feel like that's not a good thing to do. I feel like you have to just go out there and do everything you can with what you have today.

I feel like every time when I look back in the form when I was good, I'm trying to kind of, like, replicate that form, which is not good.

But if you ask how I feel right now, I feel good about my tennis. I feel like everything that I have been working during the preseason is working. I'm happy with that, and I'm just taking it one day at a time (smiling).

Q. We have talked before about how you have this problem, not a problem, but you have this goal that other players would kill for, which is to win more of the finals, because you're in all these finals. I'm curious, what did you do during the offseason to sort of try and approach these finals differently maybe so that you can play your best tennis in the biggest moment, which I think is something you were frustrated with last year?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, I actually know what was wrong in all of those finals that I played and I lost, and I would say that last year was lots of lessons, lots of things to learn about myself, and definitely not gonna happen again this season.

It's just different mentality that I will try to have in each final that I play. I feel like those frustration were coming from not agreeing of what's going on in the moment, and right now my mentality is like I'm ready to do whatever, whatever is going to be in that finals, I'm ready to go out there and fight with what I have and do everything I can.

I think when I have this mentality, I play my best tennis, and I'm there, I'm fighting, I have my opportunities. So that's my approach to the finals this season.

Q. The moment that the hindrance call was made was quite early on. I mean, first of all, I'd just like to ask what your view of that was at the time?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Oh, that's actually never happened to me. Like, never happened to me, especially with my grunting, that it's, like -- I don't know. It's, like, it's so off I think, and the way that, I don't know, excel, it's just because of -- I don't know. I don't know how to explain it.

It's just like the ball was deep. The ball was, like, the bounce was wrong, and it was just like the timing. I was excelling, and it just happened naturally.

Then she called it, and I was, like, What? What is wrong with you?

I mean, I think it was the wrong call, but whatever. She really -- how do I say in a nice way? She really pissed me off, and it's actually help me and benefit my game. I was more aggressive. I was not happy with the call, and it really helped me to get that game.

So if she ever want to do it again, like, I want to make sure that she's not afraid of it. Go ahead, call it. It's going to help me (laughter).

Q. I was going to ask, that was kind of the question I was going to ask. If you have something in a match that you feel is an injustice or that you feel is not fair, do you think that makes you play better typically?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I don't know. I think today specifically it help me. I played better because I was more aggressive, but overall, if it's not in my control, and it wasn't in my control, I asked for the Video Review. She still made the same call.

I thought there was other person who is going to make the decision, so it was her, so I knew she's not going to change her decision.

If it's something not in my control, I don't care about that. I think that's the right approach to these kind of situations.

Q. Just looking forward, haven't got a result yet on the other one, but Elena's won the first set. Is she one of the few players who hits the ball as hard as you?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Is it a question, if she's...

Q. Do you think she hits the ball as hard as you, Elena?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Well, I think her shots are heavy, deep, flat balls. It's not easy to work with, but yeah, we have a great history. She's incredible player. We had a lot of great battles, a lot of finals we played.

If it's going to be her, I'm looking forward to battle this power (smiling).

Q. A follow-up to that: If it is Elena, obviously the '23 final here against Elena, was that the breakthrough Australian Open when you had your first one?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, that was my very first one.

Q. What are your reflections on that, on playing Elena, you came back in that one? What can you even take from that now few years on?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I think I'm not going to like on that final, because me and her, we both are different players. We went through different things. We're much stronger mental and physically, and we're playing better tennis now.

So I will approach this as completely different match, and we have long history after that final. So I'll approach this match as the very first one, and I will do my very best.

Q. Both of you are fair players towards each other. You gave applause to her. She applauded to you at some point. How do you feel about the fact that you're not and you cannot or you're not allowed to say good-bye at the end of the match and greet her? Does that reflect in your mind? Do you think about that, that you cannot greet her at the end of the match, regardless who wins? Like she doesn't approach you, and you cannot approach her. So is that staying in your mind at all, or you just don't think about that?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I'm not focusing on that. They have been doing it for so long, so, like, nothing is -- it's their decision, and I respect that. I have time right now to respect her and on-court interview, and I think she knows that I respect her as a player. I know that she respect me as a player. That's all I care. About no handshake, it's their decision. I respect that.

Q. Two short questions. Curious about your necklace, if it has any sort of meaning to it, besides being sparkly? Secondly, I was wondering, if you said something towards Elina as you were walking towards the net?

ARYNA SABALENKA: About the necklace, it's a blue sapphire, which is blue sky here, waves, ocean. I feel like it's very Australian and very shiny, so I love it.

About Elina, I felt like I didn't have opportunity to even say, great job. I have it now, so great job, great match, great player, amazing tournament. Yeah, she played incredible.

Q. You didn't say anything after you won match point?

ARYNA SABALENKA: No, no, no, I didn't. I said thank you to the referee, and that's it.

Q. Some chat about Serena Williams potentially coming back. As the World No. 1, what do you think if that would happen?

ARYNA SABALENKA: That's amazing.

Q. Any chat in the locker room about it?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I heard that she's enjoying her life, and whatever makes her happy, I'm happy for her. If she want to come back, that's her decision. It's going to be fun to see her back on tour.

She got the personality, and she's a fun one. It's will be cool.

Q. Any chat about it in the locker room that you're aware of among the players?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I don't know. No, we didn't -- me personally, I didn't speak to anyone about that. I felt like everyone is on the same page. Like whatever makes her happy, it's her life, she can do whatever she wants.

Q. Four finals in a row. Looking at your third championship here. Do you feel like you're one of the players who has defined an era of this tournament? Do you feel like you're in that position to make not just history but define an era here?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I'm not thinking about that. I'm just doing my job. I'm trying to take it one day at a time, one point at a time, one game, one set, and that's my focus, you know.

I feel like that's the right approach to focus on the present, and then maybe by the end of the career, we can sit and look back and talk about that if I'm one of those players or I'm not. So I'm just trying to do my job as best as I can.

Q. Pegula, in case she wins tonight, you have played her in a Grand Slam final before. What kind of challenge would that be? She beat you in China last year. A lot of close matches.

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, she's another incredible player playing such great tennis throughout this tournament, and yeah, we have a huge history. She's always pushing me to the limit, and I feel like every time she's playing better and better against me. For sure it's going to be a great battle, and I'm really looking forward if it's going to be her.