Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina, the fifth seed, advanced to the second round of the 2026 Australian Open with a solid 6-4, 6-3 victory over Slovenia’s Kaja Juvan at Margaret Court Arena.
The 2023 finalist showed composure under pressure, striking 22 winners and winning 83 percent of points on her first serve in the 72-minute contest. Rybakina converted both break points and sealed her seventh straight opening-round win in Melbourne.
The Kazakh star, who ended 2025 by winning the WTA Finals, will next face France’s Varvara Gracheva.