Aryna Sabalenka keeps three-peat hope alive, beats Paula Badosa to reach third straight Australian Open final

Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka continued her dominance at the Australian Open, defeating Paula Badosa 6-4, 6-2 to secure a spot in her third consecutive final at Melbourne Park. The world No. 1 is now just one win away from achieving a historic three-peat, a feat last accomplished by Martina Hingis between 1997 and 1999.

Badosa, who made her first Grand Slam semifinal and is set to return to the WTA Top 10, started strongly, building a 2-0, 40-0 lead before rain caused a temporary halt. However, the break worked in Sabalenka’s favor, as she regained momentum, winning four consecutive games to take the first set 6-4. Sabalenka’s powerful groundstrokes and 19 winners played a key role in her comeback.

In the second set, the pressure on Badosa mounted as she struggled with her serve, double-faulting to give Sabalenka an early break. The Belarusian seized control, racing to a 5-1 lead. She displayed near-perfect serving, with a 92% win rate on her first serve in the second set, and closed the match in style with a forehand winner down the line, wrapping up the victory in just one hour and 23 minutes.

With the win, Sabalenka extended her head-to-head record against Badosa to 6-2 and remains undefeated in their Grand Slam encounters. She also extended her Australian Open winning streak to 20 matches, her last loss at the tournament coming in 2022. Sabalenka will now face either world No. 2 Iga Swiatek or No. 14 Madison Keys in the final, as she aims for her third consecutive Australian Open title.