World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka wasted no time asserting her dominance at the Australian Open 2026, crushing qualifier Bai Zhuoxuan of China 6-3, 6-1 in a mere 32 minutes to book her third-round place on Sunday in Melbourne.
The first set saw Bai Zhuoxuan grapple with pace, dropping to 0-5 in 15 minutes. She clawed back with two aces, saving three break points in game three and testing Sabalenka’s resolve. The top seed, however, regrouped to take the set. The second unfolded with Sabalenka leading 4-0 en route to a 74-minute victory.
Awaiting her is 28th seed Emma Raducanu or Anastasia Potapova. This marks Sabalenka’s 25th main draw win here since 2000 – only the sixth woman to do so, alongside icons Serena Williams, Lindsay Davenport, Justine Henin, Ash Barty, and Iga Swiatek.
The two-time Aussie Open titlist extended her winning streak to seven, reaching the third round for the sixth consecutive year with a flawless 7-0 second-round record. It’s a flawless start to 2026.
Elina Svitolina joined the party, beating Linda Klimovicova 7-5, 6-1, and will meet Diana Shnaider, who rallied from the brink to defeat Talia Gibson 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, saving two match points.
These results ramp up the stakes in the women’s singles, where Sabalenka and Svitolina’s momentum could carry them deep into the bracket.