Aryna Sabalenka extends insane Grand Slam record with gritty third-round win in Australian Open

Aryna Sabalenka continued her impressive run in the Australian Open after disposing of Anastasia Potapova, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (7), in the third round on Thursday at Rod Laver Arena.

While Potapova posed a challenge, Sabalenka kept her cool to march on to the next round against Victoria Mboko.

The top-seeded Sabalenka, the reigning WTA Player of the Year, has now reached the fourth round of the Australian Open for six consecutive years, including winning 23 of her last 24 matches.

To underscore her dominance, Sabalenka has won her last 19 tiebreaks in Grand Slam tournaments, the longest streak in the Open Era, according to OptaAce. She has six more than the second player on the list, Patty Schneider.

Sabalenka survived Potapova despite uncharacteristically committing 44 unforced errors. She said she enjoyed “such a fight,” while also complimenting Potapove for playing “incredible tennis.”

“To be honest, there are days when you have to be there, you have to fight, and try your best to put the ball back on that side. I don’t know what was the key,” said Sabalenka in a report from Field Level Media.

“I think even though emotionally I was all over the place, I was still able to fight for every point.”

The 27-year-old Sabalenka is looking for her third title in the Australian Open after winning back-to-back in 2023 and 2024. She relinquished the crown to Madison Keys last year after losing in the final.

Sabalenka will meet Mboko on Saturday.

The 19-year-old Mboko is coming off a win against Clara Tauson, 7-6 (5), 5-7, 6-3, to reach the fourth round for the first time in any major tournament.

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