Australian Open 2023 women’s finals Rybakina vs Sabalenka: what time, TV and how to watch online

The 2023 Australian Open will commence on Monday, January 16th and end on Sunday, January 29th. All matches will be played at the Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia.

When does Rybakina vs Sabalenka start?

The 2023 Australian Open Women’s Singles Final will take place on Monday, January 16th at the Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia with a first round start set for the following times:

How to watch Rybakina vs Sabalenka?

If you’re watching on TV, then you can find the 2023 Australian Open Women’s Singles Final between Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina on the following channels:

Rybakina vs Sabalenka: The Lay of the Land

Introducing Aryna Sabalenka

It’s down to two women in Melbourne, as the 2023 Australian Open comes to a close this weekend. In the women’s singles final, it’s a showdown between Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina, both of whom have been dominant ‘down under,’ with Sabalenka not losing a single set so far and Rybakina only losing one. Where Sabalenka is concerned, the truth is that the Belarusian made it to the 2021 Wimbledon and US Open semifinals. Then, she returned to the semifinals in New York in 2022, which is to say, she’s simply continuing the form she’s progressively demonstrated for more than a year now.

“I’m not going to do something extra. That’s ok to feel a little bit nervous,” Sabalenka said on Thursday. “It’s a big tournament, the big final. If you’re going to start trying to do something about that, it’s going to become bigger. I’ll just leave it like that, it’s ok to feel nervous about the match.” Nervous or not, Sabalenka has now won 10 consecutive matches and where her opponent in the final is concerned, she’s actually got a record of 3-1 across the four times that they have played. That being said, she knows that the past means nothing. “She’s playing great tennis, serving well, so I have to be there and work for it. Put her under pressure,” she said.

Let’s talk about Elena Rybakina

Though just 23-years-old, Elena Rybakina has faced an array of opposition in this tournament and has demonstrated experience beyond her years. This is after all the woman that turned heads when she pulled-off an upset over the highly favored World No.1, Iga Swiatek, in the fourth round. With that on her CV, she then dismissed two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka with a 7-6, 6-3 result in an hour and 41 minutes, just in case folks missed the memo. Unlike Sabalenka, she’s actually got a Grand Slam to her name, last year’s Wimbledon. It goes without saying that the title gave her confidence, but she knows it takes more than that.

“Everything was new at Wimbledon. Now I more or less understand what to expect. It’s nervous no matter what because it’s a final,” she said. “Also semis, you always nervous before the match. But this time I think I was focusing more on the match, what I have to do, and maybe not to think what’s going to come or what’s going to happen around.”

Rybakina vs Sabalenka: The Prediction

When it’s all said and done, this match is going to be about the serves. With two queens of the ace on the court, it’s going to be a question of focus when it all comes down to it. Both have served their way out of trouble on multiple occasions during the tournament, leaves you to wonder how they will cope with each other. Yet, there are a few things to consider. Sabalenka has been immense in this tournament, and now she’s got herself a shot at her first ever Grand Slam title. Consider for a moment that as good as she is, she’s never been here before. As for Rybakina, the Kazakhstani has looked overwhelmed at times since lifting the trophy at Wimbledon. Though she defeated Azarenka to make it to the final, she can’t afford to play the way she did. Ultimately, the signs are there to suggest that we could be watching the beginning of the major rivalry of women’s tennis for the next few years, right here and now. On the other hand, where the present is concerned, we’ve got Sabalenka to take the match in 3 sets.