Elena Rybakina beat the two top-ranked players in the world to win the Australian Open and show that her quiet ruthlessness can propel her to No. 1 and more Grand Slam glory. 

The Moscow-born Kazakh emerged from a power battle with top seed Aryna Sabalenka to claim the Melbourne title in three tight sets on Saturday. The 26-year-old’s 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 triumph brought her a second major crown, more than three years after winning Wimbledon.