Aryna Sabalenka and Daniil Medvedev kicked off the new season in style by capturing the Brisbane titles. Both entered last week's tournament as the top seeds and lived up to their billing.
Interestingly, both champions claimed the 22nd title of their careers, but they arrived there by slightly different paths. Sabalenka successfully defended the trophy she won a year ago, while Medvedev continued one of the most remarkable streaks in men's tennis: all 22 of his career titles have come at different tournaments.
Sabalenka seems to thrive every time she arrives in Australia. The Green Continent has become something of a second home for her tennis. It was here that she won her first Grand Slam title, and year after year Australia has served as the launching pad for her season. This week was no exception. The Belarusian did not drop a single set despite facing opponents who had either beaten her in significant matches before—such as Madison Keys at last year's Australian Open and Karolína Muchová at Roland Garros 2023—or pushed her to the limit, like Marta Kostyuk. In the final, the First&Red ambassador comfortably defeated the Ukrainian, producing a flawless first-set serving performance by winning 100 percent of points behind her first serve.
Medvedev's road looked somewhat different. The Russian endured an inconsistent 2025 season, prompting major changes within his coaching team. Thomas Johansson replaced Gilles Cervara as his head coach, and the final stretch of last year gave fans renewed optimism that the former world No. 1 was on the right track. His Brisbane triumph was convincing, although it's worth noting that ATP 250 events rarely attract the full contingent of elite players. Beginning this season, tournaments in this category are no longer mandatory for Top 30 players. Still, Medvedev wisely avoided repeating last year's mistake, when he arrived at the Australian Open without any warm-up events. The biggest positive sign was immediately apparent: his serve looked sharp again—an encouraging development for the former world No. 1.
The Brisbane titles also carried historical significance. Sabalenka has now surpassed fellow Belarusian Victoria Azarenka in career trophies, while Medvedev moved ahead of former Russian star Nikolay Davydenko. The trophy ceremonies provided memorable moments as well. Sabalenka turned toward her boyfriend and jokingly hinted that she hopes to be calling him something more than "boyfriend" in the near future. Medvedev, meanwhile, dedicated his victory to his daughter Victoria, who celebrated her first birthday in early January. Both Brisbane champions now head to Melbourne full of confidence, where the Australian Open begins on Sunday.
