Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka extended her Australian Open winning streak to 15 matches on a rain-soaked opening day at Melbourne Park. Less than an hour of play was possible on the outside courts before a huge thunderstorm hit Melbourne Park, sending spectators running for cover and causing a delay of more than six hours.
The matches continued as scheduled on the three covered courts, and Sabalenka opened the night session on Rod Laver Arena with a 6-3 6-2 victory over former US Open champion Sloane Stephens.
While it was a tough draw on paper, Stephens has slipped to 81 in the rankings and, barring a mini revival from the American when she won three games in a row after losing the first four, this was smooth sailing for Sabalenka. Sabalenka won her first major championship at Melbourne Park in 2023, then added another last January, before raising her total to three Slam trophies at the US Open in September. The last woman to win the Australian Open three years in a row was Martina Hingis from 1997 to 1999.
Sabalenka expressed her joy at being back at Melbourne Park, stating, “I am super happy to be back. I love this place.” She acknowledged that her match against Stephens was tough but was glad to close it out in straight sets.
The player Sabalenka beat in the final last year, fifth seed Qinwen Zheng, also safely reached round two. Zheng, who went on to win Olympic gold in Paris, faced a tough challenge against Romanian qualifier Anca Todoni but managed to battle to a 7-6 (7-3) 6-1 victory. Zheng reflected on the match, stating, “The first match is always not easy.”
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