Overview
- World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka opened her season with a 6-0, 6-1, 47‑minute win over Cristina Bucsa at the Brisbane International, matching the quickest victory of her career.
- The defending Brisbane champion next faces Sorana Cîrstea after striking 18 winners and closing her rout with a fourth ace.
- Sabalenka said the Dubai exhibition with Nick Kyrgios “wasn’t about proving something to anyone,” adding she was sad some “got it wrong” and that it brought attention to tennis.
- She described the match as valuable preparation, noting the higher intensity of facing a male opponent and calling it “great fitness” ahead of the Australian swing.
- Debate over the Dubai event continues after its bespoke rules—one serve and a receiving side about 9% smaller for Sabalenka—drew criticism, with Iga Świątek arguing it lacked broader purpose compared with the 1973 original.