Aryna Sabalenka has battled her way into the fourth round of Australian Open 2026.
The top seed survived her biggest test at Melbourne Park this year, overcoming Anastasia Potapova in a gripping 7-6(4) 7-6(7) encounter under a clear blue sky at Rod Laver Arena.
MORE: All the scores from AO 2026
The four-time major champion, who hasn’t lost a Grand Slam third round match since Roland Garros 2022, was stretched in Friday’s two-hour, two-minute bout, her longest outing at AO 2026 so far.
“She played incredible tennis, I was always on the back foot,” a relieved world No.1 said. “There [are] days when you just have to…fight and try your best to put the ball back on that side.”
“I think even though emotionally it was like all over the place, I was able to still fight for every point against Anastasia.”
Potapova, vying to be the first Austrian to reach the fourth round at Melbourne Park since Barbara Schett in 2000 - a year before she was born - signalled her intent with a sizzling forehand winner in the first point of the match.
But the 24-year-old, who hadn’t claimed more than two games in a set against Sabalenka in their two prior matches, succumbed to an early break and fell to a 0-2 deficit.
Still, the world No.55 possesses the same explosive groundstrokes and defensive abilities that lifted her to a career-high of No.21 in 2023. Matching Sabalenka’s power from the baseline, Potapova broke back as a cross-court forehand from the top seed sailed wide.
The two-time AO champion, visibly frustrated by her creeping unforced error count, earned a break point opportunity in the eighth game of the match, helped by a pair of double faults from Potapova. But steadying on serve, the Austrian fended it off and held to level proceedings at 4-4.
Determined to take the requisite steps towards a fourth straight AO final, Sabalenka held with ease, amplifying scoreboard pressure against her foe. But Potapova, eyeing her first upset of a world No.1 in four attempts, held to love for 5-5 and then saved a trio of set points to send the set into a tiebreak.
The pair exchanged a slew of minibreaks before Sabalenka sent a searing backhand winner down the line to convert her fourth set point.
Resolute, she started the second set with added aggression, accelerating through her groundstrokes to secure 16 of the first 19 points, surging to a seemingly unassailable 4-0 lead.
However, urged by fans cheering on their “Ana”, Austria’s top-ranked female was far from done. Potapova muscled her way back into the match and snatched both breaks back from her more accomplished foe.
Approaching Sabalenka’s booming serve with fearless returns, the 24-year-old garnered some of the loudest applause of the day when she converted a third break point chance to level the set at 4-4.
The world No.1, sprinkling in drop shots with her deft touch, quickly wrestled back the advantage and served for the match at 5-4, only to concede her fourth break of the day with a rogue backhand.
Riding the change in momentum, Potapova held for a 6-5 lead before Sabalenka fired her third ace to ensure a decisive tiebreak.
After exchanging minibreaks, Sabalenka sent a forehand long, giving Potapova a 4-2 lead as they changed ends. Composing herself, the top seed saved a pair of set points on serve and was dealt a reprieve when Potapova double faulted on set point number three.
An enthralled Rod Laver Arena crowd watched with bated breath as Sabalenka won a nine-stroke rally to save a fourth set point and subsequently struck a backhand winner to set up her first match point.
As a Potapova backhand found the net, the victorious top seed pumped her left fist.
“I was just trying to calm myself down which wasn’t working well today,” Sabalenka said. “I was…thinking, just try to put pressure on her.”
“Somehow, magically, I was able to get this win.”
Sabalenka, who clinched the 22nd title of her career at this month’s Brisbane International, is hoping to build upon the eight-match winning streak that she’s on in 2026.
“Every time when I’m competing out here, I’m trying my best, it doesn’t matter how I feel, what the conditions are, whatever I’m dealing with, I’m always there, always fighting and that gives me belief I can find my best tennis and I can do my very best here,” she said.
Facing the press after the match, the top seed said she was pleased with her on-court mentality and can steer herself through high-pressure moments thanks to the emotional maturity that’s helped her claim four Grand Slam crowns in the last three years.
“Aryna [of] five years ago would probably be focusing too much on the way she feels and completely lose these games,” she said.
“Nowadays with the experience, I learned a lot that it doesn't really matter how you feel, it's all about your mentality, your mental strength to be there, to just try your best to put the ball ugly, with the terrible technique, with completely body being disconnected, but just try to put it back and fight.”
In the fourth round, the 27-year-old Sabalenka meets her first seeded opponent of AO 2026 in the form of Canada’s Victoria Mboko, who she has never faced. In her AO debut, the 17th seed was made to work for her 7-6(5) 5-7 6-3 win over 14th seed Clara Tauson.