Aryna Sabalenka’s match against Clara Tauson on Friday marked her 20th Australian Open singles match at Rod Laver Arena.
And thanks to her 7-6(5) 6-4 victory, the world No.1 has now won 18 of those matches.
It’s a 90 per cent winning rate that vaults Sabalenka into fourth place on that all-time list, ahead of Steffi Graf and behind only Monica Seles, Novak Djokovic and Andre Agassi.
ROD LAVER ARENA: Best winning percentage
*minimum 2 matches at Rod Laver Arena
Of Sabalenka’s 18 wins at Rod Laver Arena, 17 have come in succession.
It’s the eighth-longest winning streak of all time, dating back to when the arena debuted in 1988 – a milestone she now shares with Roger Federer and Victoria Azarenka.
Sabalenka’s last loss on the Australian Open’s premier court came in the fourth round to Serena Williams in 2021. Her only other defeat came in her first appearance at the stadium, against Australian favourite Ash Barty in the first round in 2018.
She came close to winning those, too, eventually going down 6-4 in the third set of both encounters.
“Honestly, the statistics is incredible,” Sabalenka said after securing her place in the second week of the Australian Open for the fifth straight year.
“It's like, wow. If someone would tell me five years ago that I'll get to this point, I'd be like: ‘OK, whatever, let's just take it one step at a time’.
“It's not like knowing that statistic [is] going to help me to keep winning. I still have to go there. I still have to, as you see, fight for every point. I have to bring my best tennis. If not best tennis, then best fight[ing] spirit.
“I just take it one step at a time. I'm trying to focus on myself.”
Sabalenka joins elite company by boosting her winning rate into the 90-per-cent sphere.
But although she’s now ahead of Graf on this metric, there was a time the great German had a 100 per cent record at Rod Laver Arena.
Graf won the first Australian Open to be held at Melbourne Park in 1988, and backed that up with triumphs in 1989 and 1990.
By beating Australia’s Nicole Provis in the third round of Australian Open 1991, she improved her RLA record to a flawless 20-0.
That winning streak would not be bettered until Monica Seles won her 21st consecutive RLA match at AO 1996.
ROD LAVER ARENA: Longest winning streaks
Seles went on to build a 26-match winning streak at the stadium, the 26th coming via a straight-sets victory over Graf in the 1999 quarterfinals.
That was the last match Graf ever played at Rod Laver Arena. And it turned out to be her last Australian Open – later in 1999 she announced her retirement.
Seles, meanwhile, advanced to the semifinals that year to face Martina Hingis, who ended her 26-match unbeaten run.
Hingis went on to win the 1999 tournament and remains the last woman to win three consecutive AO women’s singles titles.
It’s an achievement Sabalenka is looking to emulate this fortnight at Melbourne Park.
SWIATEK ON SABALENKA: Three-peat pressure a privilege
“Definitely the atmosphere helps me a lot here,” said Sabalenka, who will next face either Mirra Andreeva or Magdalena Frech in the last 16.
“I'd say that I gained, I don't know, my people here throughout the years. Now every time I'm out there, I really feel all the support.
“It's amazing. It's a dream. That's why probably I'm so motivated every time I'm out there.”