Elena Rybakina had many reasons to lose faith in her latest pursuit of a second grand slam title. She had played so well for so much of the Australian Open final, but, just like in their first final in Melbourne three years ago, once Aryna Sabalenka began to impose herself, Rybakina lost all control. Trailing 0-3 in the final set, the Kazakhstani’s chances were fading quickly.

Rybakina is renowned for her undemonstrative nature, but her reserved personality belies the grit at the heart of her success. The fifth seed drew on her inner fire to produce one of the finest comebacks, finding a path to victory from a break down in the final set to clinch her first Australian Open title with a supreme 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 win over the world No 1.

This triumph confirms a development that has been clear for some time: Rybakina is the best female player right now. The 26-year-old’s long-awaited second slam title comes after she ended last season by winning the WTA Finals with a commanding victory over Sabalenka in the final. She was floundering outside the top 10 as recently as July, but her victory solidified her position among the elite by returning to her career-high ranking of No 3. Nobody has won more matches since Wimbledon.

It was a quality exhibition of first-strike tennis where both champions stepped up. There were just five rallies of more than nine shots in two hours, 18 minutes. Such was their irrelevance, four of those long rallies were won by Sabalenka. They served and played well for large parts of the match, but it was Rybakina who swung freely with her back to the wall in the final set and she was rewarded for her courage.

Until Friday’s historic pair of men’s semi-finals, this had been an uneventful tournament, with so many one-sided matches in the singles. This excellent final was a satisfying payoff to the women’s tournament. After their 2023 final here, an instant classic won from a set down by Sabalenka, this was also a worthy sequel.

None of that will console Sabalenka, who is 4-4 in major finals. It was hardly a horrible loss; she did not collapse emotionally and lose control, as was the case in her defeat to Coco Gauff in last year’s French Open final. However, she did balk under pressure in the second half of the third set and could not play freely with the finish line in sight.

Considering the consistency with which she makes deep runs at grand slams, Sabalenka has a chance to build a legendary career. But while the great champions rise to these occasions, she remains most vulnerable when a big title is on the line.

When Rybakina captured her first grand slam title, at Wimbledon in 2022, the prospect of her going nearly four years without winning a second major seemed remote. However, while she has long commanded the respect of her rivals, pundits and fans, she frequently failed to show up in the biggest tournaments.

Her difficulties have extended off the court in recent years. This time last year, hers longtime coach, Stefano Vukov, was suspended by the Women’s Tennis Association because of his alleged verbal abuse of Rybakina and he was not allowed on-site here. The player publicly objected to the suspension and she continued to train with him away from tournaments even though he was banned from attaining accreditation on the tour.

Vukov’s suspension was lifted on appeal in August. When she won the WTA Finals in November, Rybakina refused to pose for photos with the WTA chief executive, Portia Archer, during the trophy ceremony.

Tennis Australia has made a point of providing a greater platform for coaches this year and Vukov was invited on to the stage during the trophy ceremony to receive an award for his work. While the coaches of the men’s and women’s grand slam champions have held press conferences in the past, Vukov did not.

Rybakina burst into the match desperate to make a statement. In Sabalenka’s opening service game, she obliterated two return winners off 110mph-plus first serves, immediately putting the No 1 under pressure and breaking her serve. Rybakina held on to the break throughout the set, serving brilliantly on the five break points Sabalenka generated at the end of set one and early in set two.

Despite the deficit, Sabalenka served well while matching Rybakina’s aggression and she waited patiently for her chances. At 5-4 in set two, she made her move, pulverising a second serve in a brilliant return game to force a third set.

It seemed for a while that this momentum shift would be decisive as Sabalenka quickly established a 3-0 lead with her most devastating shotmaking of the match. Rybakina then won five games in a row by playing the devastating big-time tennis she has promised for years. While Sabalenka crumbled under the pressure, the Kazakstani swung freely and her serve was sublime in the decisive moments. Predictably, she ended her pursuit of a second grand slam title by coolly firing down a thunderous ace.