Sabalenka moves to 2026 Australian Open third round

MINSK, 21 January (BelTA) – Belarus’ world number one Aryna Sabalenka has advanced to the third round of the 2026 Australian Open, BelTA has learned.

In the second round the world’s top-ranked player defeated China’s world number 702 Zhuoxuan Bai in just over an hour with a score of 6-3, 6-1. In the opener, Aryna Sabalenka defeated France’s world number 118 Tiantsoa Rakotomanga in two sets, 6:4, 6:1. In the third round, she will take on either world number 55 Anastasia Potapova of Austria or world number 29 Emma Raducanu of the UK.

Belarus’ world number 102 Aliaksandra Sasnovich, who made it to the Australian Open main draw through the qualifiers, lost in the first round to Italy’s world number 7 Jasmine Paolini, 1-6, 2-6.