The first WTA final is all set up as defending champion Aryna Sabalenka will go up against Marta Kostyuk on Sunday (January 11) at the 2026 Brisbane International — translating to January 10 in the US. The World No.1 will look to win a title to boost her confidence before heading off to Melbourne for the Australian Open. This is the third consecutive Brisbane final for the Belarusian, while for Kostyuk, it is her fourth career final.
Aryna Sabalenka vs. Marta Kostyuk Match Details
Date: Jan. 10, 2026 (in ET)
Tournament: Brisbane International 2026
Round: Final
Venue: Queensland Tennis Centre, Brisbane, Australia
Category: WTA 500
Surface: Outdoor Hard
Live Telecast: Tennis Channel, TSN, Sky Sports
Sabalenka vs. Kostyuk Head-to-Head
After four meetings, Sabalenka has a 4-0 head-to-head record against Kostyuk. The duo met each other twice last season, in consecutive events in Madrid and Rome, both of which were won by the Belarusian. The last time they met was at the Italian Open, where Sabalenka won 6-1, 7-6 (8).
Sabalenka vs. Kostyuk Prediction
Sabalenka has been in top form throughout the tournament, as the Belarusian has yet to drop a set. After getting a bye in the first round, she won 6-2, 6-0 against Cristina Bucsa in the second round, and then won 6-3, 6-3 against Sorana Cirstea in the third round.
Her first challenger in terms of opponent came in the quarterfinals as she faced fifth-seeded Madison Keys, but the top seed won 6-3, 6-3, followed by a 6-3, 6-4 win over eleventh-seeded KarolÃna Muchová in the semifinal.
On the other hand, 16th-seeded Kostyuk has been in top form in Brisbane all week, starting her campaign with a 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-0 win over Yulia Putintseva in the second round after getting a bye in the first round. She then upset the second seed, Amanda Anisimova, in the third round, winning 6-4, 6-3 against the American.
She continued to upset seeds, as she won 7-6 (7), 6-3 against the sixth-seeded Mirra Andreeva, and then won 6-0, 6-3 against the fourth-seeded Jessica Pegula.
Sabalenka won 72 percent of the service points and 37 percent of the return points in her semifinal match against Muchová. Dropping only two first-serve points and saving all four break points, the top seed had a phenomenal serving match. On return, she won 64 percent of the return points on Muchová’s second serve, breaking the Czech player’s serve twice in the match.
Kostyuk played an almost perfect match against Pegula in the semifinal, winning 67 percent of the total points. She won 78 percent of the service points and won 64 percent of the return points behind Pegula’s first serve, blitzing winners past the American player from every position on the court.
Sabalenka has won 19 hard-court titles in her career, including four Major titles on the surface. On the other hand, Kostyuk has reached two hard-court finals in her career, with her only title on the surface coming at the 2023 ATX Open, where she won against Varvara Gracheva in the final.
Sabalenka is the undisputed favorite, as she is undefeated against Kostyuk in their head-to-head matches and is the defending champion.
Pick: Sabalenka to win in straight sets
