Aryna Sabalenka is set to commence her pursuit of a third Australian Open singles title this Sunday, facing off against Tiantsoa Sarah Rakotomanga Rajaonah in her opening match at Rod Laver Arena. The top-seeded player recently claimed victory at the Brisbane International, where she triumphed over Marta Kostyuk with a score of 6-4, 6-3. In contrast, Rajaonah recently faced an early exit in the quarter-finals of the Open BLS de Lomoges in France, losing 6-1, 6-7, 1-6.
Entering the tournament with renewed confidence, Sabalenka, the reigning champion at the US Open, aims to continue her superior form. The Belarusian has reached the finals at the Australian Open for three consecutive years and has not been eliminated in the first round of a singles event since suffering an upset by Carla Suarez Navarro at the 2020 Australian Open—her last first-match defeat in a major tournament.
Despite only claiming three singles titles since May, Sabalenka has displayed impressive recent performance on the court. She remains undefeated in her opening matches since being knocked out at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open last February. Early in 2026, she has been particularly effective in her serving, racking up 21 aces while committing just four double faults and ensuring an impressive 90.7% success rate in her service games. Her return game has also been strong, winning 45.8% of her return points and converting 39.8% of break points.
On the other hand, the 20-year-old Tiantsoa Rajaonah has the opportunity to make a significant statement in her WTA career. This match will mark her debut at this stage in Melbourne, and she aims to break her streak of early exits—having not progressed past the first round in her last three tournaments. Despite these setbacks, Rajaonah is accustomed to hard courts, having competed on this surface since the Grand Est Open in France last July.
Throughout 2025, she achieved a service game win rate of 57.9% and displayed resilience by capturing nearly 72.4% of her service games. However, her year also included challenges, with many double faults and a total of just 10 aces to show for her efforts.
With Sabalenka’s vast experience and impressive track record in major tournaments, she is favored to win in straight sets. Rajaonah’s upcoming match presents her with what is likely the biggest opportunity of her young career, which could mark a crucial turning point for the promising French player.