Mats Wilander says Aryna Sabalenka is ‘lot better’ than Elena Rybakina as he backs the Belarusian to complete threepeat at 2025 Australian Open

Aryna Sabalenka is 6-4 in her head-to-head contest with Elena Rybakina and also ended the 2024 season as a World No.1.

Mats Wilander says Aryna Sabalenka is ‘lot better’ than Elena Rybakina as he backs the Belarusian to complete threepeat at 2025 Australian Open

Aryna Sabalenka, Mats Wilander, Elena Rybakina (Images via X)

Aryna Sabalenka will be bidding to win the Australian Open for the third time on the trot in 2025. Former World No.2 Alex Corretja however called Elena Rybakina the favorite in Melbourne but seven-time Grand Slam singles champion Mats Wilander was not of the same opinion.

Sabalenka ended the year as a World No.1 by dethroning Iga Swiatek from the top. The Belarusian lifted two Majors in 2024 the Australian Open and the US Open and won two more titles on hard court (Cincinnati Open and the Wuhan Open).

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Aryna Sabalenka will win yet another Grand Slam title at the Australian Open. That makes it three in a row.

Mats Wilander said on Eurosport

Rybakina is a World No.6 and Corretja thinks she will end the 2025 season as a World No.1, but Wilander disagreed. The Kazakh ace has never reached the top of the rankings but achieved her best when she stood in the third position in 2023. She is also 4-6 when it comes to her head-to-head record against Sabalenka.

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Aryna Sabalenka is a lot better than Elena Rybakina, Alex.

Mats Wilander said on Eurosport

Rybakina struggled a lot after the Wimbledon where she reached the semifinals. She got knocked out of the Cincinnati Open after her first match. Then at the US Open, she gave a walkover to Jessika Ponchet in the second round. She missed the Asian swing, but after qualifying for the WTA Finals, she failed to progress to the semifinals.

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Mats Wilander backs Novak Djokovic to win Major in 2025

Novak Djokovic, who missed completing a Grand Slam in 2023 after defeat to Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final, failed to win a Major in 2024. He came close to the title at Wimbledon, but again Alcaraz prevailed in the final. Djokovic ended the season without winning a tour-level title.

Novak Djokovic (5)
Novak Djokovic (Image via X)

Mats Wilander however backed him to win his historic 25th major in 2025. The Serb has started working with new coach Andy Murray and many think the partnership will bring results at the Australian Open. If Djokovic wins, it will be his 11th title in Melbourne.

Novak Djokovic will win another Grand Slam is my prediction.

Mats Wilander said on Eurosport
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Djokovic will be kick-starting his campaign at the Brisbane International where he’s set to play doubles with Nick Kyrgios, who will be playing his first official tournament since the 2023 Stuttgart Open. The 37-year-old has made it clear that his focus in 2025 will be to clinch a major so he may not play several tournaments of the 500 or 1000 category.