Sabalenka, who has yet to lose a match in 2026, will face Anastasia Potapova in the third round at Melbourne Park, after the Russian-born Austrian defeated British number one Emma Raducanu.
Like Gauff, top seed Sabalenka was quick to assert herself against an opponent ranked 701 places below her, winning five consecutive games in the first 15 minutes.
But the four-time Grand Slam champion was initially frustrated as she sought to polish off the opener, having her serve broken before being denied on her first six set points.
With Bai’s resistance ended, Sabalenka cruised to victory. She has now won 45 of her last 50 sets at the Australian Open – a record bettered only by Steffi Graf, Martina Hingis, Monica Seles, and Serena Williams in the Open era.
“That sounds crazy and surreal, to be honest,” Sabalenka, who won the Melbourne title in 2023 and 2024, said.
“I just never thought that people will compare me to these names, even though I’m really far away from their achievements.
“It motivates me to keep doing my thing. It just means for me that I’m on the right way.”
