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Aryna Sabalenka Beats Zheng Qinwen 6-3, 6-2 to Clinch Back-to-Back Australian Open Titles

Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka poses with the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup after victory against China's Zheng Qinwen during their women's singles final match on day 14 of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 27, 2024. (AFP)
Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka poses with the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup after victory against China's Zheng Qinwen during their women's singles final match on day 14 of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 27, 2024. (AFP)
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Aryna Sabalenka Beats Zheng Qinwen 6-3, 6-2 to Clinch Back-to-Back Australian Open Titles

Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka poses with the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup after victory against China's Zheng Qinwen during their women's singles final match on day 14 of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 27, 2024. (AFP)
Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka poses with the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup after victory against China's Zheng Qinwen during their women's singles final match on day 14 of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 27, 2024. (AFP)

Aryna Sabalenka clinched back-to-back Australian Open titles with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Zheng Qinwen on Saturday in a one-sided women’s final.

The No. 2-seeded Sabalenka broke Zheng’s serve in the second game and took the first set in 33 minutes.

She broke again to start the second set and maintained her dominance throughout against the No. 12-seeded Zheng.

Serving for the match at 5-2 in the second, she had three championship points at 40-0 but missed two with wide or long forehands and another with Zheng's clever drop shot.

In the end, she needed five championship points before finishing off with a forehand crosscourt winner.

Sabalenka improved to two wins in three Grand Slam finals, all in a span of 13 months.

She's the first woman since Victoria Azarenka in 2012 and ’13 to win back-to-back Australian Open titles.

The 21-year-old Zheng was making her debut in a major final and playing an opponent ranked in the top 50 for the first time in this tournament.

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Wimbledon Tennis Tournament to Use AI to Make Line Calls in Break with Tradition

Line-Judges stare the court during the men's singles quarter final tennis match between Australia's Nick Kyrgios and Chile's Cristian Garin on the tenth day of the 2022 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 6, 2022. (AFP)
Line-Judges stare the court during the men's singles quarter final tennis match between Australia's Nick Kyrgios and Chile's Cristian Garin on the tenth day of the 2022 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 6, 2022. (AFP)
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Wimbledon Tennis Tournament to Use AI to Make Line Calls in Break with Tradition

Line-Judges stare the court during the men's singles quarter final tennis match between Australia's Nick Kyrgios and Chile's Cristian Garin on the tenth day of the 2022 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 6, 2022. (AFP)
Line-Judges stare the court during the men's singles quarter final tennis match between Australia's Nick Kyrgios and Chile's Cristian Garin on the tenth day of the 2022 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 6, 2022. (AFP)

That long-held Wimbledon tradition of line judges dressed in elegant uniforms is no more.

The All England Club announced Wednesday that artificial intelligence will be used to make the “out” and “fault” calls at the championships from 2025.

Wimbledon organizers said the decision to adopt live electronic line calling was made following extensive testing at the 2024 tournament and “builds on the existing ball-tracking and line-calling technology that has been in place for many years.”

“We consider the technology to be sufficiently robust and the time is right to take this important step in seeking maximum accuracy in our officiating,” said Sally Bolton, chief executive of the All England Club. “For the players, it will offer them the same conditions they have played under at a number of other events on tour.”

Bolton said Wimbledon had a responsibility to “balance tradition and innovation.”

“Line umpires have played a central role in our officiating set-up at the championships for many decades,” she said, “and we recognize their valuable contribution and thank them for their commitment and service.”

Line-calling technology has long been used at Wimbledon and other tennis tournaments to call whether serves are in or out.

The All England Club also said Wednesday that the ladies' and gentlemen’s singles finals will be scheduled to take place at the later time of 4 p.m. local time on the second Saturday and Sunday, respectively — and after doubles finals on those days.

Bolton said the moves have been made to ensure the day of the finals “builds towards the crescendo of the ladies’ and gentlemen’s singles finals, with our champions being crowned in front of the largest possible worldwide audience.”