Aryna Sabalenka produced a vintage performance to defeat Victoria Mboko at the 2026 Australian Open.
Sabalenka, who is looking to win her third title in Melbourne, defeated the young Canadian star 6-1, 7-6.
Sabalenka squandered multiple match points at 5-4 in the second set, but held her nerve to close out the match in the tiebreak.
The Belarusian has become almost unstoppable in tiebreaks; a force to be reckoned with at the most crucial moments in matches.
Who is your money on?
Sabalenka has won 20 consecutive tiebreaks, overtaking Novak Djokovic to claim an Open Era record.
Upon winning yet another tiebreak against Mboko, Sabalenka entered a conversation with Serena Williams and Martina Hingis.
Aryna Sabalenka has reached five consecutive Grand Slam quarter-finals
Aryna Sabalenka has been simply dominant on the Grand Slam stage since the start of 2025.
The Belarusian reached the final of three Grand Slam finals last year: the Australian Open, French Open and US Open. She also reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon.
While ranked as the world number one, Sabalenka has reached the quarter-finals at five consecutive Grand Slam events.
As per OptaAce, she is only the fourth WTA player in the Open Era to achieve this feat. Serena Williams, Lindsay Davenport and Martina Hingis also accomplished this landmark during their respective careers.
Now Sabalenka will focus on reaching a fourth consecutive Australian Open semi-final when she contests her quarter-final match.
Sabalenka faces Iva Jovic: the 18-year-old American star, who has wowed Australian Open spectators with her array of shotmaking.
Can Iva Jovic trouble Aryna Sabalenka?
Iva Jovic has enjoyed a break-out Grand Slam campaign at the 2026 Australian Open; punching above her weight throughout the tournament.
Jovic, 18, has defeated Katy Volynets, Priscilla Hon, Jasmine Paolini and Yulia Putintseva on her way to the quarter-finals.
Who has impressed you the most?
Sabalenka should be wary of underestimating Jovic, who is quickly establishing herself as one of the most exciting prospects on the WTA Tour.
Jovic, the 29th seed, has even been tipped to become world number one by Novak Djokovic.
Sabalenka and Jovic have never played each other on the WTA Tour.
