Sabalenka advances to the Brisbane International final by beating Muchová

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka advanced to the Brisbane International final for the third year in a row with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Karolina Muchová on Saturday.

Sabalenka clinched the semifinal at Pat Rafter Arena on her fourth match point to advance to Sunday's final against Marta Kostyuk, who beat fourth-seeded Jessica Pegula 6-0, 6-3. It was Kostyuk's third win in a row over a top-10 opponent.

The Brisbane International is a tuneup event for this year's Australian Open, which begins Jan. 18.

Although three match points slipped away amid a late flurry of pressure from the Czech player, Sabalenka sealed victory when a Muchová shot sailed long.

“I always try to stay in the present,” Sabalenka said. “I worked really hard and each match against her is just another opportunity to get the win and I’m super happy that today was the day when I was able to get the win."

With 32 winners and all four break points saved, Sabalenka will look to carry that momentum into her 13th WTA 500-level final on Sunday.

In the men's tournament at Brisbane, Brandon Nakashima beat Aleksandar Kovacevic 7-6 (4), 6-4 in an all-American semifinal. Nakashima will play top-seeded Daniil Medvedev after the Russian beat American Alex Michelsen 6-4, 6-2.

The former No. 1-ranked Medvedev seeks his 22nd career title, while it will be Nakashima's first ATP Tour final in four years.

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

Brandon Nakashima, of the United States, right, shakes hands at the net after he beat Aleksandar Kovacevic, of the United States, left, in their semifinal match at the Brisbane International tennis tournament in Brisbane, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)

Daniil Medvedev of Russia waves to the crowd after he won his semifinal match against Alex Michelsen of the United States 6-4, 6-2, at the Brisbane International tennis tournament in Brisbane, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)

Aleksandar Kovacevic, of the United States, reacts after missing a shot during his semifinal match against his compatriot Brandon Nakashima at the Brisbane International tennis tournament in Brisbane, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)

Brandon Nakashima, of the United States, plays a shot during his semifinal match against his compatriot Aleksandar Kovacevic at the Brisbane International tennis tournament in Brisbane, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)

Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus waves at the crowd after she won her semifinal match against Karolína Muchova, of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-5, at the Brisbane International in Brisbane, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)

Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus plays a shot during her semifinal tennis match against Karolína Muchova of the Czech Republic at the Brisbane International in Brisbane, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)

Karolína Muchova of the Czech Republic plays a shot during her semifinal tennis match against Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus at the Brisbane International in Brisbane, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)

Karolína Muchova, of the Czech Republic, plays a shot during her semifinal match against Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, at the Brisbane International in Brisbane, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)

Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, serves during her semifinal tennis match against Karolína Muchova, of the Czech Republic, at the Brisbane International in Brisbane, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)

Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, plays a shot during her semifinal match against Karolína Muchova, of the Czech Republic, at the Brisbane International in Brisbane, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has privately discussed the possibility of firing Attorney General Pam Bondi and replacing her with Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, three people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on Thursday.

In those conversations, Trump has discussed his ongoing frustration with Bondi over her handing of the Jeffrey Epstein files and hurdles the Justice Department has encountered in investigations into Trump’s perceived enemies, the people said. The Republican president has mentioned other candidates but has raised Zeldin’s name as recently as this week, the people said.

The people were not authorized to publicly discuss the private conversations and spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity.

No decision has been announced, and Trump has been known to change his mind on personnel decisions.

"Attorney General Pam Bondi is a wonderful person and she is doing a good job,” Trump said in a statement produced by the White House.

Zeldin, a former Republican congressman from New York, has been publicly and privately praised by Trump, who at an event in February described him as “our secret weapon.”

Bondi, a former state attorney general in Florida and a Trump loyalist who was part of his legal team during his first impeachment case, has been in her position for more than a year. She came into office pledging that she would not play politics with the Justice Department, but she quickly started investigations of Trump foes, sparking an outcry that the law enforcement agency was being wielded as a tool of revenge to advance the president’s political and personal agenda.

She has also endured months of scrutiny over the Justice Department’s handling of the Epstein files that made her the target of angry conservatives even with her close relationship with Trump.

Under Bondi’s leadership, the department opened investigations into a string of Trump foes, including Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, New York Attorney General Letitia James, former FBI Director James Comey and former CIA Director John Brennan.

The high-profile prosecutions of Comey and James were quickly thrown out by a judge who ruled that the prosecutor who brought the cases was illegally appointed. Other politically charged investigations have either been rejected by grand juries or failed to result in criminal charges.

Attorney General Pam Bondi listens during a Cabinet meeting at the White House, Thursday, March 26, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Donald Trump walks from the Blue Room to speak about the Iran war from the Cross Hall of the White House on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool)