Aryna Sabalenka beats Sloane Stephens to begin her bid for a third Australian Open title

By The Associated Press

Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus plays a backhand return to Sloane Stephens of the U.S. during their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Vincent Thian]

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Aryna Sabalenka has started her bid to become the first woman in a quarter-century to win three consecutive Australian Open titles with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over 2017 U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens. Sabalenka’s first-round victory on Sunday night lasted just 71 minutes. Sabalenka is seeded No. 1 at a Grand Slam tournament for the first time and while she was not perfect against Stephens, she was plenty good. As big a server as there is in women’s tennis, Sabalenka did not hit her first ace until the match’s 15th game and finished with only two.