WATCH: Elena Rybakina hugs Anna Blinkova despite losing in Australian Open 2R after playing longest tiebreak in Grand Slam singles history

Elena Rybakina walked over to the other side of the court to hug her Australian Open 2024 second round opponent Anna Blinkova after playing the longest tiebreak in the history of Grand Slam singles tennis.

Rybakina bowed out of the Melbourne Major following a loss to Blinkova at the Rod Laver Arena on Thursday, January 18. Blinkova started the match strongly by taking the opening set. Rybakina, however, forced her way into the match and took the second.

In the third set, the duo ran a marathon as they played a historic tiebreak in the decider. They fought for the third round spot for a staggering 42 points in the tiebreak, with Rybakina eventually pushing a return wide with the scoreline reading 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (22-20) in Blinkova's favor.

As soon as the match ended, the World No. 3 approached an emotional Blinkova and embraced her with a hug. The video of their interaction can be watched below.

Elena Rybakina and Anna Blinkova broke the 17-year-old record of a 38-point tiebreak played between Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Andy Roddick. Tsonga and Roddick were playing against each other in the opening round of the Australian Open in 2007 when the duo were locked in a tiebreak of the first set.

Tsonga secured the set with a margin of 20-18 on the tiebreak, but the American took home a 6-7(18), 7-6(2), 6-2, 6-3 win.

In 2023 at Wimbledon, Ukraine's Lesia Tsurenko and Romania's Anna Bogden came close to breaking the record but stopped at the exact same count. Tsurenko closed the final set tiebreak with a 20-18 gap and advanced to the next round.

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A brief account of Elena Rybakina's Australian Open 2023 campaign

Elena Rybakina reacts: Australian Open 2023

Elena Rybakina finished as the runner-up at the Australian Open in 2023. She lost to Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka in the final 6-4, 3-6, 4-6 at Rod Laver Arena.

Rybakina overcame Elisabetta Cocciaretto and Kaja Juvan in the first and second rounds, respectively. She met the previous year's finalist, Danielle Collins, in the third round and prevailed in three sets.

The Kazakhstani further caused the biggest upset of the tournament by downing top seed Iga Swiatek in straight sets in the fourth round. Later, she went past Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko in the quarterfinals.

In the semifinal, she took on two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka. She trumped Azarenka 7-6(4), 6-3 to set up the summit clash with Aryna Sabalenka.