Sun Jan 12 13:23:03 UTC 2025: **Sabalenka Starts Australian Open Title Defense with Victory, Impromptu Dance**

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka kicked off her bid for a historic three-peat at the Australian Open with a convincing 6-3, 6-2 victory over Sloane Stephens in the first round. The win extends Sabalenka’s hard-court major win streak to 15 matches, highlighting her dominant form since the start of the 2023 season. She boasts a remarkable 28-1 record at hard-court Slams since then, with her only loss coming against Coco Gauff in the 2023 US Open final.

Sabalenka’s performance showcased her improved mental fortitude, as she recovered from a brief lapse in the first set to ultimately dominate the match. She credited her ability to maintain focus point-by-point, a significant improvement from earlier in her career.

The match wasn’t without its lighter moments. After a video of her pre-tournament dance routine with her team went viral, Sabalenka was playfully challenged by interviewer Jelena Dokic to perform the dance on court. The World No. 1 gamely accepted, much to the delight of the Rod Laver Arena crowd.

Sabalenka’s victory sets up a second-round clash with Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, who made her Australian Open main-draw debut with a win over Sonay Kartal. A win would put Sabalenka one step closer to emulating Martina Hingis’ feat of winning three consecutive Australian Open women’s singles titles (1997-1999). She’s also aiming to become the first top seed to win the Australian Open women’s singles title since Ashleigh Barty in 2022.

Elsewhere, Coco Gauff continues her strong start to the 2025 season, having gone undefeated at the United Cup, including a victory over World No. 2 Iga Swiatek.

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