No Serena, no Venus: Aryna Sabalenka accomplishes what only four legends have done before

Aryna Sabalenka has become the 5th player in the Open Era to reach five consecutive Women’s singles Grand Slam finals on hardcourt, matching a record that hasn’t been seen in 25 years. The world No. 1 joins legends like Steffi Graf and Martina Navratilova in this exclusive club.

The world No. 1 has made three consecutive Australian Open finals (2023-2025) and two at the US Open (2023-2024), securing three titles so far. On Saturday, she will aim for her fourth major title, all on hardcourts, as she faces Madison Keys.

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The first player to achieve this feat was Martina Navratilova, who reached nine Grand Slam hardcourt finals between the 1983 US Open and the 1987 US Open, a span that excluded the 1986 Australian Open (which wasn’t held). During this period, Navratilova claimed two Australian Open titles and four US Open titles.

At the 1987 US Open final, Navratilova faced a young Steffi Graf, who had just one major title at the time. That match marked the beginning of Graf’s dominant era. The German star went on to reach seven consecutive Grand Slam hardcourt finals, winning five in a row (3 Australian Opens and 2 US Opens).

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Not long after, Monica Seles emerged as a dominant force, reaching five consecutive finals on the surface between the 1991 Australian Open and the 1993 edition of the same tournament. Seles remained unbeaten in these finals, boasting a perfect 5-0 record with three titles in Melbourne and two in New York.

The last player to achieve this milestone was Martina Hingis, who played in seven straight finals from the 1997 Australian Open to the 2000 edition. Hingis won four of these seven finals, including three consecutive Australian Open titles. She also set a precedent by reaching six consecutive finals at the Australian Open, holding the record for the most consecutive finals at the tournament.

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