World number one Aryna Sabalenka launched her Australian Open campaign with a resounding victory, overcoming the pressure of being observed by tennis icons Roger Federer and Rod Laver. In her first-round match on Rod Laver Arena, Sabalenka defeated French wildcard Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah with a score of 6-4, 6-1.
With Federer and Laver sitting front row, Sabalenka lightheartedly admitted to trying not to glance at the legends during her performance. After securing her win, she took a moment to capture a selfie with both tennis greats, expressing her desire to deliver an enjoyable match: “I wanted to show great tennis so you guys enjoy watching me play. What a privilege – I really hope you guys enjoyed it just a little bit.”
Despite her impressive track record in Australia, where she has won the title twice and lost just one of her last 22 matches at the tournament, Sabalenka encountered challenges during the match. She experienced an uncharacteristically shaky start, having her serve broken in the first game. Nonetheless, she managed to regain control, ultimately closing out the match by winning five consecutive games after saving a critical break point.
Sabalenka is now aiming for her fourth consecutive Australian Open final. Her next opponent will be either Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova or Bai Zhuoxuan, with a potential third-round clash against Britain’s Emma Raducanu.
The first round also saw Italian seventh seed Jasmine Paolini dominate her match, losing only three games against Aliaksandra Sasnovich, while three-time quarter-finalist Elina Svitolina moved comfortably into the next round after defeating Spain’s Cristina Bucsa. However, the day proved difficult for several seeded players, with Russian 11th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova falling to Turkey’s Zeynep Sonmez, and Ukrainian 20th seed Marta Kostyuk losing to France’s Elsa Jacquemot in a closely contested match featuring three tie-breaks.
Sabalenka’s determination and performance, particularly in the face of pressure, highlight her resilience and potential as she continues her quest for success in Melbourne.