Utterly dominant Aryna Sabalenka defends Brisbane title without dropping a set

In the final in Brisbane, Sabalenka delivered yet another imperious display to defeat Kostyuk 6-4, 6-3 as she claimed her 22nd career WTA Tour singles title.

Kostyuk, who hails from Ukraine, shared some emotional words about her home nation in the post-match interview.

"I play every day with a pain in my heart," said the 23-year-old.

"There are thousands of people who are without light and warm water right now. It's minus 20 degrees outside so it's very, very painful to live this reality every day.

"It's very hot in Brisbane so it's difficult to imagine, you know, but my sister is sleeping under three blankets because of how cold it is at home."

Sabalenka now holds a 5-0 head-to-head record against Kostyuk, and she has won all 10 of the sets she has played against the Ukrainian.

The Belarusian did not drop a set across her five matches in Brisbane as she defended the title she won in 2025 at the WTA 500 tournament.

Sabalenka has collected 500 WTA ranking points for winning the Brisbane International title, which has boosted her points total by 380 points to 10,870 (a WTA rule change had seen her drop 380 of the points from her 2025 Brisbane title early this year).

Kostyuk has secured 325 points for her runner-up finish, which has increased her points total to 1,983 and lifted her six places to 20th in the Live WTA Rankings.

Karolina Muchova and Jessica Pegula, who were beaten by Sabalenka and Kostyuk respectively in the semi-finals, each earned 195 points.

Sabalenka's triumph at the Brisbane International earned her $214,530, while Kostyuk has claimed $134,600. Pegula and Muchova left with $77,115 for their runs to the last four.

READ MORE: Bayanda Walaza: We must back Akani Simbine in flying the SA flag