“So I think it was exciting for me to go out there and control most of the points.

“When you’re looking for a game like that, that’s what I really want. So I’m really happy to be able to run my game.”

This will be Gibson’s third appearance in the main draw of the Australian Open. In 2025, the 21-year-old defeated Sonmez for her first Grand Slam main draw win, but lost in the second round to eventual semi-finalist Paula Badosa.

AO Preliminary: Sonmez makes a deal and enters the main event

Gibson, who is a wildcard for AO 2026, explained that she has grown a lot in the time since then.

“[I] “I learned so much. I think the biggest thing is how much damage I can do with my game. I learned a lot and was able to grow both mentally and physically,” she said.

“I’m often in positions where I can control points and things like that, which gives me a lot of opportunities on the court.”

Against Blinkova, Gibson used her big weapons, including her consistency and her serve, which reached 176km/h in the first set.

“Of course, there will be ups and downs throughout the game. [I’m] There is no doubt that we will continue to strive to maintain that high level for a long time,” she said.

The composed Gibson maintained tight control throughout most of the match at the KIA Arena, but concerns arose for the Australian in the second set when Brinkova recovered a break of serve in the seventh game.

“She definitely raised the bar in that time,” Gibson admitted. “But I just tried to tell myself, ‘Take it one point at a time.’ [trusted] I felt like I played really well today. I’m really happy that we were able to lose that match.

“I think [I] I just tried to treat it like another game and really enjoy the moment.”