Sabalenka, one step away from a hat-trick at the Australian Open: "I couldn't have dreamt of such an achievement".

Aryna Sabalenka is still on course for a hat-trick of Australian Open titles. The Belarusian dominated Paula Badosa (6-4, 6-2) to reach her third consecutive final in Melbourne.

If she wins on Saturday against either Swiatek or Keys, she will become the fifth player in the Open era to win the Australian Major for the third time in succession, following in the footsteps of Margaret Court, Steffi Graf, Monica Seles and Martina Hingis.

On court moments after qualifying, Aryna Sabalenka, who is on a 20-match winning streak in Melbourne since being eliminated in the Round of 16 by Kaia Kanepi in 2022, reacted.

She is hoping to make history, although she also had a few words for her friend Paula Badosa.

"I hope Paula is still my friend! She'll be mad at me and probably hate me for days to come. There's nothing to worry about.

After that, I have every hope that we'll go out together again, that we'll go shopping. I promise Paula, if she watches this interview, that I'll pay for anything she wants.

Knowing that I can make history and inscribe my name alongside such legends can only give me the shivers, to be honest.

Above all, I'm proud of myself and my team, who did everything they could to put me in this position today.

It's a privilege to be able to make history, it would mean a lot to me. I couldn't dream of such an achievement.

My dream was to win at least one Grand Slam. Now I have this incredible opportunity and I'm going to give it my all in the final," assured Sabalenka.