Sabalenka Defeats Wildcard in Front of Federer and Laver

"Her strong baseline game and powerful serves kept her opponent on the defensive."

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka opened her 2026 Australian Open campaign with a straight-sets win over French wildcard Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah, winning 6‑4, 6‑1 at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne.

The match drew extra attention with tennis legends Roger Federer and Rod Laver watching from the stands. Sabalenka admitted she felt some added pressure with the two icons in attendance but managed to stay focused and play her best tennis. After the victory, she celebrated with a selfie alongside Federer and Laver, delighting fans.

Sabalenka got off to a slow start, dropping her opening service game and committing a few unforced errors, but she quickly found her rhythm and dominated the rest of the match. Her strong baseline game, powerful serves, and precise groundstrokes kept her opponent on the defensive throughout.

With this win, Sabalenka advances to the second round, where she will face either Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova or Bai Zhuoxuan. The Belarusian is looking to add to her impressive Australian Open record and continue her run toward another Grand Slam title.