World number two
Aryna Sabalenka will be defending her crown
when she will take the court in the
Australian Open in 2024.
The first Grand Slam of the new year will begin from January
14 in Melbourne where players from all over the world will participate to battle
for the ultimate glory. Over the years, it has proven to be difficult to defend
the title in the women’s singles category.
However, Sabalenka will feel better about the fact that the
last time a player who managed to achieve the feat was from Belarus as well. It
was Victoria Azarenka who clinched back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013 editions.
In the 2012 edition, the former world number one defeated
Russia’s Maria Sharapova in straight sets with a score of 6-3, 6-0. Next year, she
got the better of China’s Li Na with a score of 4–6, 6–4, 6–3 to defend her
title.
Sabalenka won her maiden and till now the only Grand Slam
title after beating Elena Rybakina in the final with a score of 4–6, 6–3, 6–4.
Only five players in the history of the Australian Open in
the Open era managed to win the competition on three back-to-back occasions — Margaret
Court, Evonne Goolagong, Steffi Graf, Monica Seles and Martina Hingis.