Sabalenka's triumphant return propels her into the annals of Grand Slam history.

    Aryna Sabalenka

Aryna Sabalenka's comeback in the final of the Australian Open earned her a place in the grand slam record books as she secured her first major title.

Sabalenka defeated last year's Wimbledon champion, Elena Rybakina, in a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 match on Saturday.

The victory made Sabalenka the fifth woman in the Open Era to win a grand slam via a comeback in the final, joining Nancy Richy, Jelena Ostapenko, Sofia Kenin and ironically, Rybakina herself on that list.

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Sabalenka hit 17 aces in her match against Rybakina, second only to Serena Williams' 18 aces in the 2015 final.

She has now won three out of the four tournaments in which she has faced Rybakina, including Wuhan 2019, Abu Dhabi 2021, and the Australian Open 2023.

With her victory in the Australian Open, Aryna Sabalenka became the 29th unique woman in the Open Era to win the title at the tournament and the 58th women's player in the Open Era to win a major.

"Being boring can bring elusive Grand Slam," Sabalenka says.