Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus and Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic kicked off their 2025 seasons with impressive victories at the Brisbane International, securing the women's and men's singles titles respectively on Sunday night.
Sabalenka, ranked world No. 1, showcased her resilience by overcoming a challenging start against Polina Kudermetova of Russia, who was ranked 107th. After dropping the first set 4-6, Sabalenka made a strong comeback, winning the next two sets 6-3 and 6-2 in a match that lasted one hour and 47 minutes.
This victory extends Sabalenka's winning streak in Australia to 12 matches and marks her fourth title in the last five tournaments held in the country, including back-to-back Australian Open wins in 2023 and 2024. Out of her 18 career titles, 16 have been achieved on hard courts.
Reflecting on her win, Sabalenka said, \"I felt all of the support from the very beginning of the week until the very last point. I really appreciate it and that's why I love playing in Australia and in Brisbane.\"
Kudermetova demonstrated remarkable composure in her first career final, pushing Sabalenka to three sets. Despite leading in the first set, Kudermetova was unable to maintain her momentum, allowing Sabalenka to secure the championship.
With this win, the 21-year-old Lehecka will climb into the top 60 in the rankings. Both finalists will now prepare for the Australian Open in Melbourne, where Sabalenka aims to become the first woman since Martina Hingis in the 1990s to win three consecutive Australian Open finals.
Reference(s):
Aryna Sabalenka, Jiri Lehecka win Brisbane International titles
cgtn.com
