Aryna Sabalenka prepared for the Australian Open with a comfortable victory over Marta Kostyuk to win a third Brisbane International title.
The world number one took control of Sunday’s final by reeling off five consecutive games from 4-4 in the opening set, taking just 79 minutes to win 6-4 6-3.
Sabalenka defended her crown at the Queensland Tennis Centre, where she also won the title in 2023.
It was the perfect preparation for the 27-year-old Belarusian, who is aiming for a third title in four years at the Australian Open, which begins in Melbourne on 18 January.
“First of all I just want to congratulate Marta and her team on an incredible start to the season [Kostyuk bowed in response],” said Sabalenka, who has not lost a set in five matches against the Ukrainian.
“I wish you all the best this season – it seems like it is going to be great tennis and I hope that we are going to meet each other many more times in finals.”
Kostyuk, 23, settled herself after cancelling out an early break of serve, but lost her serve again in the 10th game as Sabalenka stepped up her intensity to win the first set.
The 16th seed was aiming for just a second WTA singles title in what was her first final in two years and fourth in total, but her game crumbled under the weight of Sabalenka’s groundstrokes.
One break of serve at the start of the second set proved enough for Sabalenka to see off the world number 26 as Kostyuk fired into the net on her first championship point.
Kostyuk struggled to hold back tears as she spoke to the Brisbane crowd about conditions at home in Ukraine, where officials have been battling to repair heating and water supplies damaged by Russian bombing.
“I want to say a few words about Ukraine,” she said. “I play every day with a pain in my heart. 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’s 22nd WTA title is her first since claiming a fourth Grand Slam at the US Open in September.
Earlier, Great Britain’s number one seeds Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool lost the men’s doubles final 6-3 3-6 10-8 to third seeds Francisco Cabral, of Portugal, and Austrian Lucas Miedler.
