Aryna Sabalenka Advances at Australian Open

Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka successfully began her Australian Open title defense with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Sloane Stephens, extending her winning streak at the tournament to 15 matches. Despite a brief wobble, Sabalenka managed to close out the match in 71 minutes on Rod Laver Arena, expressing her happiness to be back in Melbourne, a place she considers 'home'. Rain caused significant delays on outside courts, but play continued on covered courts, where fifth seed Zheng Qinwen also advanced past Anca Todoni. Sabalenka will face Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in the next round after the Spaniard eliminated British player Sonay Kartal. The world number one aims to achieve a three-peat at the Australian Open, a feat last accomplished by Martina Hingis in 1999. With her current form, Sabalenka has solidified her status as a favorite in this year's tournament, boasting a remarkable 28-1 record at hard-court majors since the start of 2023.