Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus and Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic started their 2025 seasons in style, each claiming singles titles at the Brisbane International on Sunday night.
World No. 1 Sabalenka overcame a tough challenge from Russia’s Polina Kudermetova, rallying from a set down to win 4-6, 6-3, 6-2. The match lasted one hour and 47 minutes, showcasing Sabalenka’s resilience and dominance on hard courts.
Her victory extends her winning streak in Australia to 12 matches and marks her fourth title in the country, including back-to-back Australian Open victories in 2023 and 2024. Of her 18 career titles, an impressive 16 have come on hard courts.
“I felt all of the support from the very beginning of the week until the very last point. I really appreciate it, and that’s why I love playing in Australia and in Brisbane,” Sabalenka said after the match.
Kudermetova, ranked 107th and playing in her first career final, started strong by taking the first set. Despite leading 2-1 in the second set with a chance to break, she couldn’t sustain the momentum as Sabalenka found her rhythm. Kudermetova’s impressive run in Brisbane is expected to boost her ranking into the top 60.
On the men’s side, world No. 28 Lehecka claimed his second career title after American Reilly Opelka was forced to retire due to a back injury when trailing 4-1 in the first set.
“It’s never easy to finish a match this way. I know how you feel, Reilly,” Lehecka said. “It’s been an honor to see you back playing, and if your body can take it, you’ll be there for many more years.”
Lehecka’s path to the title included a walkover win in the semifinals after second seed Grigor Dimitrov withdrew. The Czech player’s victory will see him rise to 24th in the rankings ahead of the Australian Open.
Both Sabalenka and Lehecka now set their sights on Melbourne, with Sabalenka aiming to become the first woman since Martina Hingis in the 1990s to win three consecutive Australian Open finals.
Reference(s):
Aryna Sabalenka, Jiri Lehecka win Brisbane International titles
cgtn.com
