Aryna Sabalenka makes it back-to-back Australia Open crowns in dominant win over Zheng Qinwen

Aryna Sabalenka has placed her rivals on notice with a ruthless Australian Open final victory over Chinese underdog Zheng Qinwen.

Sabalenka overwhelmed Zheng 6-3 6-2 on Saturday night to become the first woman to defend their crown at Melbourne Park since fellow Belarusian Victoria Azarenka in 2013.

On a mission after losing last year’s US Open final from a set up against Coco Gauff, Sabalenka shed her tag as a one grand-slam wonder with 76 minutes of focus and ferocity.

The world No.2 broke Zheng three times without dropping her own serve all night to surge to within one tournament victory of supplanting Poland’s Iga Swiatek from the top ranking.

Underlining her dominance, Sabalenka joins greats Ash Barty (2022), Serena Williams (2017), Maria Sharapova (2008) and Lindsay Davenport (2000) as only the fifth woman this century to lift the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup without dropping a set.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling right now. I’m really speechless.”

A one-time emotional wreck undermined by serving yips, Sabalenka thanked her team for their unwavering support and said she could never have won a grand slam without them.

But she singled out her parents - including her ice hockey playing-father Sergey - for introducing her to tennis at the age of six.

“I never speak about my family on the winning speeches before,” Sabalenka said.

“But I actually have to say thank you so much for everything they’ve done for me.

“I love you so much and you’re my biggest motivation. Everything I’m doing, I’m doing for you.”

Believing in destiny, Zheng had been hoping the stars would align and that she would become Asia’s second grand slam singles champion, a neat decade after her Chinese idol and inspiration Li Na won the Australian Open in 2014.

But the second-ranked Sabalenka ended the 21-year-old’s fairytale in clinical fashion.

She asserted her dominance early by winning the opening three games of the match, the first two in the second set and never realistically looked like losing.