World No.10 Aryna Sabalenka has clinched the season-opening singles title at the Abu Dhabi WTA Women’s Tennis Open with a comfortable 6-2, 6-2 win over Veronika Kudermetova.
In winning her her ninth WTA singles title Sabalenka could climb as high as No.7 in the WTA rankings ahead of the Australian Open.
The Belarusian, who won tournaments in Ostrava and Linz at the end of last season, last lost in the fourth round of the French Open back in October.
Both Sabalenka and Kudermetova will now travel to Australia, where they will spend 14 days in quarantine before the Australian Open begins.
