Rybakina routs Mertens again, powers into Australian Open quarterfinals

The Russian-born Kazakhstan tennis GOAT Elena Rybakina reached the fourth round at the Australian Open with a spectacular win over BEL player Elise Mertens on Monday, January 26, 2026.

Rybakina dominated the game, securing her a berth in the top eight of the Australian Open 2026.

Buzzing over the victory, Rybakina expressed her feelings in an on-court interview, saying, “Today, I think, I played much better than the previous match.”

Satisfied with her consistent and strong performance, Rybakina added, “Some good serves; it was a bit tricky with the sun and shade, but overall, I’m happy that I stayed aggressive, and I think I improved from the last match.”

Making it to the sixth straight victory at the Australian Open, Rybakina crushed the world No. 21 seed Elise Mertens by 6-1, 6-3 in a game that lasted for 1 hour and 17 minutes.

It’s also Rybakina’s fifth straight win over the Belgian tennis star at the Australian Open.

Not just that, continuing the winning streak, it’s Rybakina’s first Grand Slam quarterfinal since she played the Wimbledon semis in 2024.

Her next face-off will be either against Iga Swiatek or Australian qualifier Maddison Inglis.

While Rybakina has never played against Inglis, her track record with Swiatek is well documented. In 11 career matches, Swiatek holds a narrow 6-5 edge.

If Rybakina can close that gap, she will reach the semis in Melbourne for the second time and move one step closer to her first sterling silver Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup.