After knocking out three Grand Slam winners in a row, Elena Rybakina qualified for the 2023 Australian Open Final. That’s where she’ll lock horns with Aryna Sabalenka, who’s playing the first major final of her career.
So, who’s going to become the new Women’s Singles champion of the Australian Open? Keep reading to see our prediction!
Elena Rybakina vs Aryna Sabalenka Odds
| Moneyline | Odds |
|---|---|
| Elena Rybakina | +120 |
| Aryna Sabalenka | -137 |
*Odds taken on Thursday, January 26, 2023.
When, Where, and How to Watch?
- Place: Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia
- Date: Saturday, January 28, 2023
- Time: ~3:30 AM ET
- How to Watch: ESPN (TV), fuboTV (stream)
Elena Rybakina the Giant-Slayer
The winner of the 2022 Wimbledon has made it to her second Grand Slam Final. Although the Moscow-born Kazakh player wasn’t among the Australian Open favorites before the start of the tournament, she’s got herself a shot at the title.
She got to the Final of the 2023 Australian Open after beating a couple of big favorites. In the round of 16, for example, she defeated the WTA No.1 Iga Swiatek. Despite entering the match as a +350 underdog, Rybakina defeated the two-time Grand Slam champion in straight sets.
She defeated another Grand Slam winner in the quarterfinal – Jeļena Ostapenko. The winner of the 2017 French Open stood no chance against raging Rybakina, who beat her by 2-0 in sets.
The same scoreline happened in the semifinal match against Victoria Azarenka, in which Rybakina demonstrated her resilience and physical prowess. This goes especially for the first set, which she won after a tiebreaker (7-4).
Aryna Sabalenka Ready for Her 1st Grand Slam Title
Before the start of the 2023 Australian Open, Aryna Sabalenka was 5th in the WTA Rankings. By reaching the AO Final, she’s already won 1,300 ranking points, meaning that she’s going to move all the way to the No. 2 position after the tournament, regardless of what happens on Saturday.
Still, this doesn’t mean she has no motivation coming into the final. On the contrary, the Belarus player has a chance to win her first-ever Grand Slam tournament. Sabalenka has never played in the final of a major tournament, at least not in Women’s Singles.
She did, however, win the Doubles tournament at the 2019 US Open and the 2021 Australian Open. Sabalenka has also played in three semifinals at Grand Slam tournaments, losing each time.
Elena Rybakina vs Aryna Sabalenka Prediction
Aryna Sabalenka has much better stats than Elena Rybakina, but this won’t mean too much in the Australian Open Final. For each player, this is the biggest match of their career. This is why you can be certain both will give their 100% on the court.
Sabalenka is the favorite in bookies’ eyes, but we think Rybakina can upset the odds. After all, she overcame the odds against the world’s better female player (Swiatek) a couple of days ago. We believe she can do it again.
Pick: Elena Rybakina to win 2-1