Sabalenka’s impressive run at the Australian Open continues as she reaches the third round, winning 45 of her last 50 sets.
Introduction:
Aryna Sabalenka is starting to make Melbourne Park feel less like a Grand Slam venue and more like her own personal fortress.
On Wednesday, the world No.1 powered past Chinese qualifier Bai Zhuoxuan 6-3, 6-1 to reach the third round of the Australian Open, extending a remarkable streak of dominance at a tournament that has become her happiest hunting ground. With another straight‑sets victory, Sabalenka has now won 45 of her last 50 sets in singles at the Australian Open, a feat matched by only four other women in the Open Era.
It was a clinical, almost ruthless display from the defending champion, who needed just over an hour to shut down Bai’s promising early resistance and underline once again why she is the woman to beat in Melbourne.
Fast Start From the Defending Champion
From the opening game on Rod Laver Arena, Sabalenka set the tone with the kind of first-strike tennis that has become her trademark.
Her serve popped off the court, her forehand ripped through the baseline, and she immediately pushed Bai deep behind the court’s perimeter. The Chinese qualifier, competing in just her second main-draw match at a Grand Slam, held her own in the early exchanges but was quickly overwhelmed by the sheer weight of Sabalenka’s shot-making.
Sabalenka broke in the very first return game, bullying Bai’s serve with heavy, aggressive returns that pinned the 21-year-old in defensive positions. Once in front, the Belarusian tightened the screws, racing out to a 5-0 lead in what felt more like a statement of intent than just another early-round match.
The early numbers told the story: Sabalenka’s first-serve percentage stayed high, and she won the vast majority of points behind her first delivery. She stepped inside the baseline on almost every second serve she faced, taking time away from Bai and forcing rushed swings and short replies.
Bai’s Brave Resistance at 0–5
Yet, just when it looked like Sabalenka might barrel through the opening set in near-record time, Bai found a foothold and showed why she has earned respect on the tour as a rising talent. See also: The Sabalenka Sprint: World No. 1 Chases Down Wildcard in AO
Down 0-5, the Chinese qualifier refused to fold. She settled her nerves, found more depth on her groundstrokes, and began to redirect Sabalenka’s pace with intelligent angles. The result was a mini-surge that saw Bai break Sabalenka’s serve and hold her own for the first time in the match.
Suddenly, Sabalenka’s rhythm stuttered. A couple of unforced errors crept in, a double fault at an inopportune moment, and Bai’s renewed belief helped stretch rallies longer than the Belarusian had faced to that point in the match. The Chinese player got on the scoreboard, 5-1, then 5-2, and the crowd began to warm to the underdog as she started to make inroads from the back of the court.
At 5-3, with Bai serving and the momentum tilted ever so slightly, Sabalenka faced the first real test of her composure in the match. But champions do not allow windows to stay open for long.
Closing the Door With Authority
Serving for the set for the second time at 5-3, Sabalenka reset. She returned to her fundamentals: a strong first serve followed by a heavy forehand into open space, moving Bai from side to side and preventing the qualifier from dictating any patterns of play.
A thumping ace out wide brought up set point, and a blistered inside-out forehand sealed the opener 6-3. In the space of a handful of points, Sabalenka reminded everyone – including her opponent – why she sits atop the WTA rankings.
The brief wobble at the tail end of the first set never turned into a crisis. Instead, it served as a reminder that despite her overwhelming power and numbers, Sabalenka remains fully engaged, willing to make tactical adjustments on the fly and trust her shots under pressure.
Second Set Masterclass
If the first set was about power and early dominance, the second was about control, discipline, and elite front-running.
Sabalenka broke to start the second set, snuffing out any lingering hope Bai might have harbored of mounting a comeback. The world No.1 began to vary her height and shape, mixing in higher, loopier balls before flattening out her forehand to finish points. Bai, who had begun to read the straight-line pace in the latter stages of the first set, suddenly found herself guessing again.
The serve remained a blunt weapon for Sabalenka. She continued to win a high percentage of points behind both first and second serve, using her delivery not just as a starting shot, but as an advantage-creating tool. Short replies from Bai were quickly punished with winners, especially off the forehand wing.
The Chinese qualifier, to her credit, continued to compete with heart, chasing down balls and looking for opportunities to counterpunch. She even produced a few highlight-reel shots of her own – a couple of deft passing shots and an impressive backhand winner up the line, but they were isolated moments against a constant barrage.
Sabalenka broke again to surge ahead 4-1, and from there the result felt inevitable. With her confidence surging and her groundstrokes firing with laser-like precision, she reeled off the final games with minimal fuss, wrapping up the set 6-1 and the match in straight sets.
Joining the Australian Open Elite
With this dominant performance, Sabalenka’s Australian Open numbers continue to reach historic levels.
By winning 45 of her last 50 sets at Melbourne Park, she has joined a short, illustrious list of women in the Open Era who have produced similar stretches of dominance at the tournament. It is the kind of statistic that speaks not just to form or momentum, but to sustained excellence on one of the sport’s biggest stages.
This is the surface and the setting where her game flourishes most. The medium-paced hard courts amplify her power while still rewarding improved movement and defensive skills that she has steadily developed over the last two seasons. Mentally, too, Sabalenka looks settled in Melbourne. The emotional volatility that once cost her matches at majors has been tempered by experience and success; she now plays with the calm authority of a reigning champion who fully believes she belongs at the top.
Her ability to consistently win sets by wide margins – often with double breaks of serve and minimal time spent under scoreboard pressure – allows her to conserve energy in the first week of the tournament. In a grueling two-week major, that matters.
Bai Zhuoxuan’s Encouraging Signs
While the scoreline was lopsided, Bai Zhuoxuan left Melbourne with valuable experience and plenty of positives.
As a qualifier, she had already battled her way through the early rounds to earn a shot at the world No.1 on one of the sport’s biggest stages. Against Sabalenka, Bai displayed flashes of the all-court game that has made her one of the promising young players from China’s next generation.
Her brief surge from 0-5 down in the first set showed resilience and tactical maturity, as she adjusted her court positioning and used Sabalenka’s pace to redirect attacks into the corners. She did not shy away from trading from the baseline, and she showed that when given time, she can construct points thoughtfully rather than simply react.
Facing the top seed at a Grand Slam is a daunting assignment for any player, let alone a relative newcomer. But Bai’s willingness to compete until the last ball, and her ability to test Sabalenka in patches will serve as a foundation to build on for the rest of the season.
Sabalenka’s Title Defense Gathering Pace
For Sabalenka, this was another step forward in a title defense that is beginning to resemble a statement campaign.
She has yet to drop a set this fortnight, and more importantly, she has rarely looked under genuine threat. Her combination of power, depth, and improved shot selection has allowed her to dictate most of the rallies she has played so far. When tested, she has responded with clean, composed tennis rather than the streaky patches that occasionally undermined her in past seasons.
Looking ahead to the later rounds, Sabalenka will know that the challenges will grow tougher. Higher-ranked opponents and big-stage pressure await. But performances like this one against Bai underline how high her baseline level is at the moment. Even when she dips slightly, she has the weapons and mindset to quickly reassert control.
In a draw packed with big names and dangerous floaters, Sabalenka continues to look like the standard-setter. And as her remarkable Melbourne set record shows, she has built that standard not on one hot week, but on an extended reign of dominance at the Australian Open.
If she continues to play at this level, the question may not be whether she can defend her title, but whether anyone can consistently withstand the storm she brings to Rod Laver Arena.
