Aryna Sabalenka turns up the heat to beat Polina Kudermetova and claim Brisbane International title

Down a set and nearly a break against the younger Kudermetova sister, 21-year-old qualifier Polina, in the final of the Brisbane International on Sunday. Aryna Sabalenka remembered who she is.

"I was trying to play too conservative, I would say," the world No. 1 said following a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 comeback to claim the WTA 500 title. "I wasn't following the plan. That was the moment where everything clicked for her and she was, like, smashing the ball. Seems like everything is going in. I was like, I cannot do much in this situation.

"In that second set, I just put her under a little pressure. I saw the way she was reacting, the way she was playing. She was rushing things a lot. I was like, I'm just going to stay aggressive, keep pushing, keep swinging the ball, and hopefully I'll be able to turn around this game."

The two-time reigning Australian Open champion improved to 27-1 Down Under since 2023 with the come-from-behind victory. Her only loss, coincidentally, was a 6-0, 6-3 thumping at the hands of Elena Rybakina in last year's final in Brisbane.

And the younger Kudermetova, who came through qualifying to storm through to her first career WTA tour-level singles final, showed that she, too, is capable of the kind of first-strike tennis that Rybakina can produce in a revelatory performance. The 21-year-old beat, among others, Daria Kasatkina and Liudmila Samsonova from a set down during the week, and hit both more aces (9 to 5) and winners (26 to 23) than Sabalenka in the match.

But the youngster ran out of steam after failing to convert a break point that would've put her ahead 6-4, 3-1. She lost eight of the last 10 games, and ended the match with 59 unforced errors to Sabalenka's 36.

"I think she just couldn't handle her emotions in the middle of the second set," Sabalenka assessed. "There where I stepped in and kind of, like, showed the level. I'm really glad that I was able to do that and I didn't, like, just let the game go the way it was going and I was able to turn around things."

The 26-year-old now turns her attention to Melbourne, where she's bidding to become the first woman to win three consecutive Australian Opens since Martina Hingis won consecutively from 1997 to 1999.

"I definitely can take a lot of things from this week heading into the Australiam Open. I definitely feel my game pretty well. Mentally, physically I'll be ready to go at the Australian Open," Sabalenka said. "Really happy with the way the week went. Yeah, having this trophy going to the major, it's really important."

"I definitely feel confident in my game," she added. "I'm just excited. I love playing there. I love to fight for my dream. That's the conditions where I feel really comfortable in. I'm just super exciting heading to the Australian Open."