Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina meetdown underonce again.
Three years after Sabalenka defeated Rybakina in the 2023 Australian Open final to claim the first of her five Grand Slam singles titles, the two will face off for the Melbourne major at Rod Laver Arena on Saturday.
However, Sabalenka isn't going to rewatch that championship match. She's going to approach Saturday's final, her fourth consecutive Australian Open final appearance, "as the very first one" against Rybakina.
"I'm not going to look at the (2023 Australian Open) final because... we both are different players," said Sabalenka, who's vying for her third Melbourne major in four years. "We are much stronger mentally and physically and we are playing better tennis now, so I will approach this as a completely different match."
Both players are big hitters who have dominated with their aggressive style of play. Neither Sabalenka nor Rybakina have dropped a set in the tournament, the first time both women's finalists have won in straight sets in every match since Justine Henin and Kim Clijsters in 2004.
Sabalenka advanced to the finals after defeating No. 12 Elina Svitolina, 6-2, 6-3. Rybakina is making her second Australian Open final appearance after defeating No. 6 Jessica Pegula 6-3, 7-6 (9-7).
Here's everything you need to know about Saturday's Australian Open women's final:
What time is the Australian Open women's final?
The Australian Open women's final between Aryna Sabalenka vs. Elena Rybakina will start Saturday, Jan. 31 at 3:30 a.m. ET (6:30 p.m. in Australia) at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne Park.
Australian Open women's final: TV channel, live stream
The Australian Open women's final between Aryna Sabalenka vs. Elena Rybakina will be broadcast live on ESPN. The championship match can also be streamed on the ESPN app.
Aryna Sabalenka's path to Australian Open women's final
Tournament's No. 1 seed
1st round: Defeated Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah 6-4, 6-1
2nd round: Defeated Zhuoxuan Bai 6-3, 6-1
3rd round: Defeated Anastasia Potapova 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (9-7)
4th round: Defeated (17) Victoria Mboko 6-1, 7-6 (7-1)
Quarterfinals: Defeated (29) Iva Jovic 6-3, 6-0
Semifinals: Defeated (12) Elina Svitolina 6-2, 6-3
Elena Rybakina's path to Australian Open women's final
Tournament's No. 5 seed
1st round: Defeated Kaja Juvan 6-4, 6-3
2nd round: Varvara Gracheva 7-6, 6-2
3rd round: Defeated Tereza Valentova 6-2, 6-3
4th round: Defeated (21) Elise Mertens 6-1, 6-3
Quarterfinals: Defeated (2) Iga Swiatek 7-5, 6-1
Semifinals: Defeated (6) Jessica Pegula 6-3, 7-6 (9-7)
Aryna Sabalenka vs. Elena Rybakina head to head
Sabalenka has a 8-6 head-to-head advantage over Rybakina going into Saturday's final, but Rybakina won the last matchup between the two at the 2025 WTA Finals in November in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 6–3, 7–6 (7-0). Rybakina holds a slight 6-5 edge over Sabalenka on hard courts.
2026 Australian Open champion payout, prize money
Both the men's and women's singles champions will earn nearly $2.79 million for winning the Australian Open, up from $2.35 million in 2025. The runner-up will pocket $1.44 million.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Australian Open women's final: How to watch Sabalenka vs. Rybakina
