Aryna Sabalenka hands Sloane Stephens ninth straight loss while earning 15th successive Australian Open win

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka officially launched her bid for an Australian Open three-peat Sunday night, packing too much power for Sloane Stephens to clinch her 15th consecutive victory at Melbourne Park.

Returning to Rod Laver Arena, the incoming Brisbane champion handed Stephens her ninth consecutive loss following a 6-3, 6-2 dismissal. Sabalenka has now won 28 of her past 29 hard-court matches at majors since the start of the 2023 season.

“It feels like home,” Sabalenka told Jelena Dokic, who had the 26-year-old lead the crowd in a group dance for TikTok at the end of their on-court interview.

Holding at love to open proceedings between Grand Slam champions, Sabalenka had a 3-0 lead in hand after just seven minutes of work. She soon stretched it to 4-0, before a combination of Stephens adjusting to the pace coming at her and the top seed tightening up saw the American get the set back on serve. The 2017 US Open title holder had a game point to level the scoreboard, but Sabalenka cleaned up her hitting for 5-3—and served it out.

"I'm glad that in that game on 4-3 I stepped in and I was, like, going forward to the net. I think that was the key to get back to this match," assessed Sabalenka during her press conference.

Having missed two returns with a 0-40 look on her opponent’s serve at 1-1, Sabalenka made her next one and worked Stephens side to side until breaking with an untouchable forehand drop shot. A long forehand slice approach shot from Stephens resulted in her falling behind a double break, and this time, Sabalenka ensured the door wouldn’t be left open further in sealing the 71-minute victory.

For a place in the third round, Sabalenka meets Jessica Bouzas Maneiro. The two have not faced off previously.

Sabalenka's good friend Paula Badosa, the No. 11 seed, also moved through. The Spaniard held off Wang Xinyu, 6-3, 7-6 (5), drawing a volley error after double faulting on her first match point in the tie-break.