Aryna Sabalenka’s goals for the first Grand Slam of the season aren’t in doubt.
The world No.1 intends to go one better than her upset title loss to Madison Keys at Melbourne Park last year.
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“That final was a tough one,” she recalled. “She played incredible and overplayed me. It took me a little time to recover.
“We had matches after that. I kind of worked on my mistake in those matches.
“Going to this AO, I'm not really focusing on that result. But of course, I would like to do just a little bit better than I did last year.”
The 27-year-old cut a relaxed figure at a media day on Friday, hair tied back and wearing an oversized grey hoodie as she moved from a press conference to one-on-one interviews with local, national and international broadcasters.
Opening Week for the tournament’s top seeds has been a mix of practice and PR commitments that Sabalenka has entertained on the back of a hugely successful warm-up at the Brisbane International, where she downed Marta Kostyuk in straight sets for the title.
If Sabalenka wasn’t living rent-free in the heads of rivals before then, she may be now. Kostyuk admitted to being shocked by the power of the two-time Australian Open champion on the court.
“There were some points I want to know what the speed of the ball was, because it felt like we were hitting 150km/h, which was crazy,” the Ukrainian said.
Sabalenka said playing in extra exhibition matches has helped refine aspects of her game.
“It's good to have matches to test things that I've been working on during the pre-season,” she said. “I felt exhausted after Atlanta and New York, but I had one or two days off, so I felt recovered after. I had a great preparation.
"Then there is really high-intensity match against Nick [Kyrgios], which is also part of my preparation. By the end of the pre-season, I felt really strong and ready.”
She’s also reportedly been working on her mindset with coaches Anton Dubrov and Jason Stacy to channel emotions in high-stakes environments on court and off.
Her profile has risen with her game: she was second on Forbes’ Highest Paid Female Athletes of 2025 and recently made a guest appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, talking about her ‘Battle of the Sexes’ match with Kyrgios.
“I couldn't dream about going to these shows,” she said. “It's always a lot of fun. He's very energetic, very fun. I really enjoyed my time there.
“I really hope I can do these kind of shows more often. It’s really cool and helps to promote tennis even more.”
Sabalenka’s consistency has been another key strength to her standing, which she seems increasingly comfortable with ahead of her first match at AO 2026 against French wildcard Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah.
Asked directly about her rivalry with Iga Swiatek, Sabalenka was diplomatic and suggested this year’s tournament would be more than a two-horse race.
“It's actually not only about me and Iga. It's Coco [Gauff], Elena [Rybakina], Jessica [Pegula],” she said. “There is so many great players I have also great rivalry with.”
Strength and consistency aside, it may be balance that proves central to the five-time Grand Slam champion’s campaign here. Sabalenka appears to have found it on the court, in her routines, and off the court, engaging with brands she aligns with, and becoming one herself.
“The thing that been working for me quite well is balancing,” Sabalenka said.
“When it's a match day, I'm like fully focused, fully prepared. But when it's an off day, I obviously do my hitting, then I go for dinner or for walk to completely get disconnected from tennis world for little moment, so I feel fresh and ready to go next day.
“I always wanted to be something bigger than just a tennis player,” she continued.
“I always wanted to be [an] inspiration for the next generation and be an example of a great athlete who can balance things around.
“I always share, and I always work with the brands that I really truly love, that I really use. That's my brand. It's showing people that it's okay to balance on- and out of-the-court life, to have fun, but really be focused on your goals.”