Sabalenka Outlasts Mboko To Reach Australian Open Quarters

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka delivered another statement performance at the Australian Open on January 25, 2026, powering past rising Canadian star Victoria Mboko 6-1, 7-6 (7-1) to book her spot in the quarterfinals. The victory at Melbourne Park marks Sabalenka’s 13th consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinal—a streak that cements her status as one of the sport’s most consistent and formidable competitors.

For Sabalenka, the win was clinical, but it was anything but routine. Under the lights of Rod Laver Arena, she raced through the first set in just 31 minutes, using her trademark high-powered serve—firing three aces and dictating play from the baseline. The Belarussian’s dominance early on left the 19-year-old Mboko scrambling to find her rhythm. “The tricky thing about playing the first match – don’t get me wrong I like to play the first match –, but the tricky part, at some point the sun goes right into your serve point,” Sabalenka said after the match. “It’s tricky. It’s not easy. You can break the serve. That’s what actually happened. Two breaks that she got, it was on the side when I was facing the sun. Yeah, I didn’t deal that good with the serve. She done incredible job serving on that side.”

Yet, the match’s second act revealed the grit and promise of the new generation in women’s tennis. Mboko, seeded 17th and making her main draw debut at Melbourne Park, refused to bow out quietly. After falling behind 4-1 in the second set, she clawed her way back, breaking Sabalenka’s serve twice and saving three match points at 5-4 with fearless hitting. The Canadian’s resilience forced a tiebreak, electrifying the crowd and momentarily putting the world No. 1 on the ropes.

Sabalenka, though, proved why she’s the top seed and a two-time Australian Open champion. With nerves of steel, she reeled off seven of eight points in the tiebreak, extending her astonishing Grand Slam tiebreak win streak to 20. “I knew she’s going to be fighting,” Sabalenka acknowledged. “She kind of like has nothing to lose. She showed incredible tennis in those moments when she broke my serve. But yeah, I was just focusing staying in the moment, playing point by point, trying to get this win.”

The victory not only keeps Sabalenka’s hopes alive for a third Australian Open title in four years—she previously lifted the trophy in 2023 and 2024 before finishing runner-up last year—but also improves her record at Melbourne Park to a remarkable 24-1 since 2023. With a 9-0 start to her 2026 season and two U.S. Open titles already on her résumé, Sabalenka’s run of form is nothing short of intimidating for the rest of the field.

But the night belonged in part to Victoria Mboko, who, despite the loss, delivered a performance that announced her arrival as a true contender on the women’s tour. The teenager’s path to the fourth round was impressive in itself: straight-set victories over Australia’s Emerson Jones and America’s Caty McNally, followed by a marathon three-set win over 14th seed Clara Tauson, 7-6 (7-5), 5-7, 6-3. Her run earned her 240 WTA ranking points—netting a gain of 159 points after defending last year’s ITF titles—and propelled her to a career-high No. 13 in the live rankings as of January 25, 2026.

Mboko’s reward for her efforts at the Australian Open includes a career prize money total now exceeding $2 million, with an additional AUD 480,000 (approximately USD 323,088) added for her last-16 showing. The Canadian sensation will next compete at the Abu Dhabi Open, where she is slated to be the sixth seed in her debut at the WTA 500 event. Her breakthrough last summer at the WTA 1000 tournament in Montreal—where she stunned the likes of Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina, and Naomi Osaka—had already put the tennis world on notice, but her performance in Melbourne only solidified her status as one of the sport’s brightest young stars.

Reflecting on her Australian Open experience, Mboko expressed nothing but excitement ahead of her clash with Sabalenka. “Yeah, I think it’s super cool. I’ve never played a current No. 1 in the world. That’s going to be a very different experience. I assume we’d be playing on Rod Laver, as well. I’ve never played on a Grand Slam Centre Court either. A lot of firsts. I’m just really excited. It’s something not many people get to experience. To be doing that on Sunday is, I think, really cool. Just to show what I got,” Mboko said before the match.

Sabalenka, for her part, was quick to heap praise on her young opponent in the post-match ceremony. “What an incredible player for such a young age. It’s incredible to see these kids coming up on tour. I can’t believe I say that, I feel like I’m a kid still but whatever. Incredible player. Pushed me really hard today. Super happy with the win. Once again in straight sets. She played incredible tennis. She pushed me so much. Happy to be through.”

The Belarussian’s next test will come against the winner of the match between Kazakh veteran Yulia Putintseva and 17-year-old American Iva Jovic, both of whom have shown they can be dangerous on their day. As Sabalenka continues her relentless march through the Melbourne draw, her ability to handle high-pressure moments—especially in tiebreaks—remains a key weapon in her arsenal. “Now because you guys keep talking about that I feel like you’re putting pressure on my opponent. That’s what I like about playing tiebreaks nowadays,” Sabalenka quipped when asked about her tiebreak record.

Elsewhere on Sunday, the Australian Open featured more high-profile action, with top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz facing American No. 19 Tommy Paul for a spot in the men’s quarterfinals, and third seeds Alexander Zverev and Coco Gauff also in action. But all eyes in the women’s draw remain on Sabalenka, whose blend of power, poise, and experience makes her the player to beat as the tournament heads into its decisive stages.

As the dust settles on an exhilarating fourth-round clash, Aryna Sabalenka’s quest for more Grand Slam glory rolls on, while Victoria Mboko departs Melbourne with her head held high and a world of possibilities ahead. The torch may not have changed hands just yet, but the future of women’s tennis is looking brighter than ever.