Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Aryna Sabalenka produced another milestone moment at the Australian Open on Sunday, and in the process, she broke a Grand Slam record previously held by Novak Djokovic. By dominating yet another tiebreak, Sabalenka claimed her 20th consecutive tiebreak win at Grand Slam events, moving past Djokovic’s mark of 19 and becoming the outright leader in the Open Era.The achievement quickly drew a reaction from Djokovic himself, who responded publicly and with humour. While acknowledging Sabalenka’s remarkable consistency under pressure, the Serbian star joked about losing the record, writing on X, “I’m upset right now.” His light-hearted comment highlighted the significance of the moment and showed respect for Sabalenka’s growing place in tennis history.Sabalenka reached the quarterfinals after a straight-sets victory over Canada’s Victoria Mboko after winning 6-1, 7-6 (1) on Sunday. Although Mboko is just 19 years old and seeded No. 17, Sabalenka took control early and set the tone with powerful serving and aggressive shot-making. She hit three aces in the opening set, controlled the rallies, and broke serve quickly. She wrapped up the set in only 31 minutes while looking calm and confident throughout.The second set proved more challenging, as the Belarusian made more unforced errors and Mboko lifted her level. Mboko chased every ball and played with belief, pushing Sabalenka and forcing longer rallies. Sabalenka built a 4-1 lead and later served at 5-4, but she missed three match points, allowing Mboko to gain momentum and force a tiebreak.However, once the match reached the tiebreak, Sabalenka’s dominance returned. She took control from the start, closed it out with ease, and sealed the record-breaking win.Sabalenka’s success in Melbourne has been consistent. She won the Australian Open in 2023 and defended her title in 2024 after finishing runner-up the year before, and she has also captured two US Open titles.
