Four-time Grand Slam winner Aryna Sabalenka made a powerful start to her 2026 season by successfully defending her Brisbane International title, defeating Marta Kostyuk 6-4, 6-3 in just 1 hour and 18 minutes. After closing out the match, Sabalenka celebrated in style—kissing her biceps and blowing a kiss to the sky, a confident statement of intent for the season ahead. 💪✨

Many saw Sabalenka’s celebration as a subtle response to Kostyuk’s earlier remarks about her having a biological advantage that makes her stronger and tougher to defeat. Kostyuk’s comments—particularly those referencing testosterone—sparked major controversy, with Sabalenka previously dismissing them as mere excuses. During the Brisbane International, Kostyuk later clarified the situation, saying she had been “misquoted big time” regarding the issue.

The clash carried plenty of tension heading into the final, and that frosty atmosphere lingered even after the match. Kostyuk chose not to shake hands with Sabalenka at the net and also avoided mentioning her by name during the runner-up speech, instead dedicating her words to her homeland, Ukraine.

The world No. 1, however, took a classy approach, congratulating Kostyuk and saying she hoped they would meet again in another final soon. The victory marked Sabalenka’s 22nd WTA title and her 19th on hard courts. With the win, she extended her dominant head-to-head record over Kostyuk to 5–0, all coming in straight sets.

Aryna Sabalenka clarifies the meaning behind the kissing biceps celebration

Aryna Sabalenka (image via Instagram @arynasabalenka)

During the post-match press conference, Aryna Sabalenka was asked about her biceps-kissing celebration. The Belarusian star firmly denied that the gesture was aimed at responding to Marta Kostyuk’s earlier comments about testosterone, shutting down any suggestion that the celebration carried a hidden message.

Sabalenka took control by winning five straight games from 4–4 in the opening set. Despite being broken once early on, she looked increasingly comfortable as the match progressed, especially in the second set, where her heavy groundstrokes overwhelmed her opponent and drew a stream of errors.