The pair exchanged a slew of minibreaks before Sabalenka sent a searing backhand winner down the line to convert her fourth set point.
Resolute, she started the second set with added aggression, accelerating through her groundstrokes to secure 16 of the first 19 points, surging to a seemingly unassailable 4-0 lead.
However, urged by fans cheering on their “Ana”, Austria’s top-ranked female was far from done. Potapova muscled her way back into the match and snatched both breaks back from her more accomplished foe.
Approaching Sabalenka’s booming serve with fearless returns, the 24-year-old garnered some of the loudest applause of the day when she converted a third break point chance to level the set at 4-4.
The world No.1, sprinkling in drop shots with her deft touch, quickly wrestled back the advantage and served for the match at 5-4, only to concede her fourth break of the day with a rogue backhand.
Riding the change in momentum, Potapova held for a 6-5 lead before Sabalenka fired her third ace to ensure a decisive tiebreak.
After exchanging minibreaks, Sabalenka sent a forehand long, giving Potapova a 4-2 lead as they changed ends. Composing herself, the top seed saved a pair of set points on serve and was dealt a reprieve when Potapova double faulted on set point number three.
An enthralled Rod Laver Arena crowd watched with bated breath as Sabalenka won a nine-stroke rally to save a fourth set point and subsequently struck a backhand winner to set up her first match point.
As a Potapova backhand found the net, the victorious top seed pumped her left fist.
“I was just trying to calm myself down which wasn’t working well today,” Sabalenka said. “I was…thinking, just try to put pressure on her.”
“Somehow, magically, I was able to get this win.”
Sabalenka, who clinched the 22nd title of her career at this month’s Brisbane International, is hoping to build upon the eight-match winning streak that she’s on in 2026.
“Every time when I’m competing out here, I’m trying my best, it doesn’t matter how I feel, what the conditions are, whatever I’m dealing with, I’m always there, always fighting and that gives me belief I can find my best tennis and I can do my very best here,” she said.
