Revenge is not just talk! Details of Sabalenka's equipment adjustments after the Australian Open are revealed following her championship win.

In the Indian Wells women's singles final, world number one, Belarusian star Aryna Sabalenka finally achieved her wish, not only successfully avenging Rybakina and ending her four consecutive final losses to the opponent, but also winning the championship after reaching the tournament final three times, securing her tenth 1000-level title!

This match was the 16th encounter between Sabalenka and Rybakina, and their fifth final meeting following the 2023 Indian Wells, the 2025 WTA Finals, and this year's Australian Open final. In their previous four final clashes, Sabalenka had lost all of them, especially the scene at the Australian Open final where she watched Rybakina lift the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup, which almost became a psychological shadow for her.

In the decisive set tie-break, trailing 5-6, Sabalenka faced a match point. At that moment, history seemed to repeat itself. However, the Belarusian saved the match point with a stunning backhand winner, then scored three consecutive points to seal the victory 8-6.

During the post-match press conference, Sabalenka admitted she thought of the Australian Open loss at that moment: "I've probably watched countless times the scene where she got the match point at the Australian Open, it was like right before my eyes. I thought, 'Okay, I need to defend against the wide serve.' Fortunately, she indeed served wide, and I just managed to defend that direction. No matter how fast the serve was, I knew I could block it back."

It is worth noting that in this match, many netizens were amazed by the world number one's "unbreakable" champion mentality, and also discovered key equipment changes made by the Belarusian star after the Australian Open.

It is reported that after losing the Australian Open final, Sabalenka made significant adjustments to her string configuration: abandoning the polyester strings she had used for many years, switching to natural gut for the mains, and using Luxilon 4G polyester strings for the crosses, renowned for control and tension maintenance. This classic hybrid string setup is precisely the signature choice of 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams in her late career.

A professional stringer from overseas analyzed this: "Luxilon 4G is famous for its excellent control and lasting performance stability. While it doesn't provide extra 'free power,' for players like Sabalenka who can generate immense racket head speed themselves, this configuration offers great predictability and directional accuracy. In the hot conditions of Indian Wells, where ball speed increases and feel becomes more erratic, the stability value of this setup becomes prominent."

Additionally, attentive netizens noticed that the racket Sabalenka used in this tournament differed from the one at the Australian Open. Although the paint was deliberately made all black, sharp racket enthusiasts believe this might not just be for "mystique." Analysis suggests this should also be an equipment follow-up measure matching the string adjustment, to adapt to Sabalenka's increasingly all-court, versatile playing style. Sabalenka herself confirmed the tactical significance of changing rackets after the match.

Sabalenka's hard-fought victory and her underlying technical adjustments sparked lively discussions among fans.

Equipment-focused netizens commented: "Sabalenka switched to Serena's same hybrid strings? Gut mains with 4G crosses, this is the ultimate setup for top power players. Gut provides feel and power, 4G provides control and spin [citation:4]. No wonder she could keep the ball under control in high temperatures today, this setup suits her perfectly."

Other netizens said: "This is the power of change. Many top players choose to make some adjustments when frequently losing! When I saw the match point, I thought she was going to receive another runner-up plate, but Sabalenka actually saved it with a backhand down-the-line! That was a follow-up after a 121 mph serve, so this is completely a new, unbreakable Sabalenka! From the Australian Open nightmare to the Indian Wells dream, such mental toughness is incredible! Truly worthy of being world number one!"

Some also commented: "The black warrior paint job is confirmed. Changed to Serena's same strings, won the championship Serena won here, next goal might really be the total Grand Slam count (tongue-in-cheek)? But seriously, her current match ability to execute both Plan A and Plan B is terrifying."

This victory perfectly concluded Sabalenka's two-week journey at Indian Wells. She not only received a new pet puppy and accepted her boyfriend's engagement ring, but now also lifted this long-desired championship trophy, truly "three blessings in one"! For the upcoming Miami Open, as the defending champion, she needs to carry the energy gained from Indian Wells to continue fighting and defending that equally beautiful trophy. Can she do it? I believe the "new" Sabalenka is fully capable!(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Lu Xiaotian)