The Australian Open’s slot near the beginning of the annual sports calendar makes it perhaps the most unpredictable of tennis’ grand slams. Most players arrive in Melbourne coming off their longest stretch without competition each year, and surprises often follow, with the event serving as a breakthrough slam for many over the years.
Aryna Sabalenka won her first grand slam title in Melbourne last year, defeating Elena Rybakina in her first major final. The 25-year-old Belarus native has sustained that momentum for a year, reaching the semifinals at the French Open and Wimbledon before falling to Coco Gauff in the US Open final last fall.
This year’s No. 2 seed avenged that defeat to the young American in the semifinals Thursday and is back in the championship with a chance to be the first repeat women’s singles winner at the tournament since countrywoman Victoria Azarenka in 2012 and 2013.
Azarenka’s opponent in the latter final was Li Na, who would take the title in 2014 to become the first Asian player to win a grand slam. Ten years later, Li’s countrywoman Zheng Qinwen will face off against Sabalenka in her first major final.
Zheng, 21, is in the midst of the best stretch of her career. Before this tournament, her deepest run at a grand slam…
