Aryna Sabalenka wins the Brisbane Tournament and talks to her boyfriend about marriage
The Australian Open champion shone in the final against Kostyuk, on a day marked by political tension and an emotional personal message
Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka confirmed her absolute dominance on the women's circuit by winning the 2016 Brisbane tournament, her first title of the year and an ideal prelude to the Australian Open, where she is the overwhelming favorite. The world number one convincingly defeated Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk, but the match transcended the sporting aspect due to the emotional and symbolic weight of the aftermath.
Sabalenka asserts her dominance in the final
The final offered little suspense in terms of the tennis itself. Sabalenka won 6-4, 6-3, without dropping a single set throughout the tournament, reaffirming her status as the WTA number one and her excellent form.
The match was dominated from start to finish by the Belarusian, who once again displayed power, consistency, and superiority against a Kostyuk who failed to trouble her in the crucial moments.
An ending without a handshake and a message that shook the ceremony awards
Attention shifted to the subsequent ceremony, where the absence of a handshake at the net between the two players was repeated. Marta Kostyuk has maintained her stance since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and avoids shaking hands with Russian or Belarusian tennis players. During the awards ceremony, the Ukrainian player took the floor and recalled the tragedy unfolding in her country: "I want to say a few words about Ukraine. I play every day with a heavy heart. Thousands of people are without electricity or hot water right now. It's -20 degrees outside. It's very painful to live this reality every day. My sister sleeps under three blankets because of the cold at home. I was deeply moved and overjoyed to see so many Ukrainian flags this week." The message was listened to in silence by the organizers and by Sabalenka herself, in a scene charged with tension and emotion. Sabalenka's Stance on the War This situation occurred despite the fact that the champion, born in Minsk, has publicly expressed her rejection of The war. In 2023, during Roland Garros, he had already made his position clear:
“Nobody in this world,Russian or Belarusian athletes, supports war. People don't support it, and if we could stop it, we would. But unfortunately, that's not in our hands. Georgios Frangulis.
“First, I want to congratulate Marta and her team on an incredible start to the season. I wish them all the best. I hope we meet many more times in finals to show off some great tennis.