Aryna Sabalenka insists she has learned from the heartache of Madison Keys last year as she prepares to win a third Australian Open title.

Sabalenka’s consistency in 2025 has been impressive, with the world number one reaching the finals in nine of the 16 events she has entered.

But she only won four of those, including a heartbreaking loss to Keys and Coco Gauff at the French Open.

Sabalenka beat Amanda Anisimova at the US Open to claim her fourth Grand Slam title and now faces a repeat of her first Grand Slam final, when she beat Elena Rybakina at the 2023 Classic in Melbourne.

“I actually know what went wrong in all the finals I’ve played in and lost, and I would say there were a lot of lessons learned last year, a lot of things to learn about yourself, and that’s definitely not going to happen again this season,” said Sabalenka, who will be playing in her fourth consecutive Australian Open final.

“It’s just a different mindset that I try to have in every final I go to. I feel like those frustrations came from not agreeing with what’s going on in the moment, and now my mindset is that I’m ready to do anything. I’m ready to go out there and fight with everything I’ve got and do the best I can.

“I think I play my best tennis when I have that mentality, I’m there, I’m fighting, I have my chances. So that’s how I got to the finals this season.”

Sabalenka has already advanced to the final, but she is expected to improve her level in her 15th meeting with fifth seed Rybakina.

She never dropped a set en route to the final, and neither did Rybakina, something that hadn’t happened at a Grand Slam tournament since 2008.

Sabalenka leads the head-to-head match 8-6, but the pair played to a tie last year, with Rybakina winning their most recent meeting in the WTA Year-End Finals in November.

This heralds a return to the top for Kazakhstan, who will strive to win ten consecutive games against the top ten players.

“She hits the ball hard, deep and flat,” Sabalenka said. “It’s not easy to work with. We have a long history. She’s an unbelievable player. I’m looking forward to playing against that force.”

Ice-cold Rybakina’s deadly serve

Rybakina’s demeanor was so at odds with her brutal hitting – her clenched fists as she beat Jessica Pegula in the semi-finals, a display of wild emotion for the understated 26-year-old.

“She was calm,” Pegula said. “She doesn’t really give you anything, which I think is hard sometimes. You’re not sure if she’s upset or excited or what.”

Rybakina is trying to carry over what she did in Riyadh into this season.

“Of course, the WTA Finals gave me a lot of confidence because you play against top players,” she said.

“I kept my level up. I had a tough game, a very close game. I won them all. I think I can only take positives from that week.”

Rybakina’s first Grand Slam final in three years is surprising given her talent, but she has also endured turbulent times off the court.

The Croatian rehired last summer after parting ways with her long-time coach Stefano Vukov, who was suspended by the WTA amid accusations of abusing her.

Vukov denied any wrongdoing and was supported by Rybukina, whose ban was lifted following an appeal last August.

“I think it’s a big help because of course he knows me best,” Rybakina said. “With his advice on the pitch during games, it definitely makes a difference.”

A key factor on Saturday may be the effectiveness of Rybakina’s serve. She hit 41 aces in this tournament, undoubtedly the most of any woman, but in the past two games, her first serve success rate was only 55%.

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