Three years after Aryna Sabalenka won her first major singles title at the 2023 Australian Open by defeating Elena Rybakina in the championship, Sabalenka and Rybakina will meet again in Melbourne with the title on the line.
It marks the fourth consecutive appearance in the Australian Open finals for Sabalenka, who won back-to-back in 2023 and 2024.
Both Sabalenka and Rybakina have had dominant runs so far during this year’s Australian Open; neither player has dropped a set in any previous round.
australian open 2026: what to know
- Who: No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka vs. No. 5 Elena Rybakina
- When: Jan. 31, 3:30 a.m. ET
- Where: Melbourne Park (Melbourne, Australia)
- Channel: ESPN
- Streaming: DIRECTV (try it free)
Sabalenka and Rybakina last faced off in November 2025 in the championship match of the WTA Finals, which Rybakina won in straight sets.
In 14 meetings throughout their careers, Sabalenka has the edge with eight wins.
What time is the Australian Open women’s final on Saturday?
The Australian Open women’s championship between Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina is scheduled to begin Jan. 31 at 3:30 a.m. ET.
How to watch the Australian Open for free
If you don’t have cable, you’ll need a live TV streaming service to stream the Australian Open for free.
If you aren’t ready to commit to a full-on subscription and have your eye on a specific match, you can try a Sling Orange Day Pass. Priced at $4.99, you’ll get 24 hours of access to all Sling TV Orange has to offer, including ESPN.
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This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Streaming Reporter for Post Wanted Shopping, Page Six, and Decider.com. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, and information on how to watch your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and movies on every streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers are getting the best prices, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech, sports, and pop culture. When she’s not writing about (or watching) TV, movies, and sports, she’s also keeping up on the underrated perfume dupes at Bath & Body Works and testing headphones. Prior to joining Decider and The New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews.
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