Aryna Sabalenka would have to get past the likes of Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff and others to complete her hattrick.
Aryna Sabalenka (via SACAS)
This year, Aryna Sabalenka could become only the sixth woman in the Open Era to win three consecutive Australian Open titles. Should she do so, the Belarusian will join Margaret Court, Evonne Goolagong, Steffi Graf, Monica Seles and Martina Hingis in this exclusive club.
However, it will not be a cakewalk for the two-time defending champion. Aryna Sabalenka will have to win seven straight matches over the next two weeks. On the way, she will likely have to battle past the likes of World No. 2 Iga Swiatek, and World No. 3 Coco Gauff who recently triumphed at the United Cup.
The World No. 1 has arrived in Melbourne after winning the Brisbane International last week. Aryna Sabalenka’s form in hard court Grand Slams was impeccable in 2024, with a victory at the US Open as well. Along with the Grand Slam, she also secured victories at the hard court Wuhan Open and Cincinnati Open last season.
More accomplished players than Aryna Sabalenka, however, have failed to achieve a Melbourne hat-trick. Serena Williams, Victoria Azarenka, Naomi Osaka, Jennifer Capriati — the list goes on. In fact, no one in the 21st century has managed to accomplish this feat. The last woman to achieve this feat in the Open Era was Martina Hingis, who did so from 1997 to 1999.
At the Australian Open 2025 pre-event press conference, Aryna Sabalenka spoke about her start to the season, her experiences, and her mindset and approach to maintaining her performance level. She started off by expressing her happiness about returning to Melbourne. She remarked on her positive feelings after a good performance in Brisbane, signaling a strong start to her season.
When asked about her long winning streak on hard courts, Aryna Sabalenka acknowledged the pressure. However, the 26 year old emphasized that her current focus is on personal improvement rather than external accolades.
Concluding the conference, Aryna Sabalenka highlighted an evolved mental approach since her first Grand Slam victory. She also noted that she can better separate on-court pressure from off-court life, resulting in improved focus during tournaments.
